


Hell on Earth

by waywardmoeyy



Series: Hell on Earth [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel/Reader AU, F/M, Supernatural AU - Freeform, castiel/reader - Freeform, zombie apocalypse AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-02-01 18:21:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12710394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waywardmoeyy/pseuds/waywardmoeyy
Summary: After months on your own in a world flooded with zombies, a supply run gone ariy leads you to Castiel Novak and his group. They take you in, allowing you to stay in their self-made fortress. But will you fit in? Or will the tension of the apocalypse ruin your chances at staying in the safe haven?





	1. Hell on Earth Part 1

The wood of the small shed moaned and creaked as the harsh wind hammered against it. Those sounds were so much sweeter than the crying of the dead as they shuffled around in the snow. It tuned them out, almost like a pair of headphones.  
Ah, headphones. There is nothing you wouldn’t do for some music… and hot chocolate. No, tequila. But those were pleasure that had disappeared just over a year ago, when this whole shit show had started.  
The walls shook again, causing your body to sway as you leaned against them. “Crap,” you murmured. The winds were picking up, and you were almost out of food. You had barely left the tiny, empty toolshed in the last six days. You needed to get out of there before they could smell you. And that thing wasn’t going to hold up forever.  
Closing your eyes, you focused on the places you had seen nearby along the highway. There was a Home Depot with a few zombies in the parking lot. Sure, there would be tools you could use as defense weapons, but barely any food other than a few snacks at the register, if they were still there. A pet food store was right beside it, but you wanted to wait as long as you could before having to rely on a can of Friskies for nourishment.  
Your eyes shot open as you remembered the big red sign just beside the pet store. Target. Bingo. That place had to have some food left, maybe a few things that weren’t totally stale or rotten. Maybe even some clothes, shoes, knives. You nodded to yourself. That’s where you needed to go. It was only a mile or so up the highway back towards the center of town. An easy walk. Well, a doable walk in the snow.  
You bent forward as another gust battered the shed. You tied the laces on your boots before shoving your Converse into your backpack, along with your extra shirt, half full water bottle, and last granola bar. Your gun slipped easily into your waistband. “You’ve got this, Y/N,” you muttered to yourself as you neared the rattling door. The smallest ribbon of light lined the bottom of the door. Good. It was still daytime. Hopefully there would be some sunlight peaking through the clouds, a small source of warmth in the otherwise snow-ridden Sierra Nevadas.  
Leaning your ear against the door, you listened for a moment. Nothing. No groans or growls. Good. You nodded to yourself one more time before you slid the wobbly door open and stepped into the war zone.  
Only about a half dozen zombies scoured the Target parking lot in search of their next meal. Hovering behind an abandoned car, you scoped out your path to the doors. To be honest, if you jogged, you could probably outrun the fuckers. So, that was your game plan.  
The slowly melting snow sloshed under your boots as you high-tailed it to the door. Of course, the front entrance was guarded by two sets of sliding automatic doors, both shattered to pieces. You furrowed your brow as you prepared yourself for more zombies inside.  
But, to your surprise, you didn’t see or hear any. You made a b-line to the surprisingly well-stocked clothing section, quickly finding a new black hoodie and slipping it on. You grabbed a few long sleeve flannels, and two tank tops. You slid them, along with a pair of dark wash jeans, into your backpack.  
Your eyes flicked around as you hunted for the food section. The building felt like a freaking football field, stretching on and on. It felt like a freaking hour before you finally reached the sparsely filled food shelves. A bag of dried pasta caught your eye, along with an unopened jar of almond butter. A few minutes later, you spotted another tall bottle of water, slipping it into your bag.  
“Jesus,” you murmured as you rounded the corner towards the tool section. You stopped dead in your tracks, eye widened with fear as your stomach flipped. At least twenty zombies shuffled around a large open space a few yards in front of you. Smeared blood stained the floor under their feet. Your breath hitched as you studied the creatures closest to you, making sure none of them had heard you. You slowly stepped back behind the aisle divider, keeping your eyes glued to them.  
You winced as your foot hit an empty water bottle, kicking it several feet behind you. The object finally stopped with a klonk as it hit the back wall. Oh, fuck. The closest zombies noticed first, five of them steering their snapping jaws towards you. The others quickly sensed the commotion and turned towards their undead comrades.  
“Shit,” you growled as you spun on your heels, heading down the side aisle along the back wall. You managed to slide your machete from your pack, holding it in front of you in case any others crossed your path. The snaps and groans from the monsters behind you echoed through the barren aisles. The entire store was a fucking maze and no matter how many twists and turns you made, there was no exit.  
You turned to your right, finally reaching an employees only door. You quickly rushed through the heavy door and turned to latch it, but the creatures were already pushing back. Giving up, you turned and ran down the concrete hall of what must have been the overflow room. A tower of cardboard boxes quickly blocked your path, causing you to panic. There was a narrow hall to your right, but it was too dark to see if anything was down there. So, you turned around, gripping your machete.  
“C’mon, you assholes!” You grit your teeth as you counted the groaning bodies. Six, seven, ten, twelve. Oh shit. You were fiercely outnumbered.  
When the first one lunged at you, you quickly clocked it in the head, slicing almost clear to the neck. It collapsed at your feet as you swung at the second one, cracking it in the side of the skull. Before that one fell, a third one was almost on top of you, snapping at your face. “Get off!” you screamed as you struggled.  
Bang!  
The zombie collapsed on top of the first one, leaving a short break between the groups. You turned towards the noise. A gunshot? It couldn’t have been; you were alone.  
Bang! Bang!  
Two bullets came flying from the narrow hall just before more zombies fell to the floor. You peered down the once dimly lit, narrow hallway. It was now illuminated by a small, flickering fluorescent bulb. Your breath hitched as a tall man with deep blue eyes gazed back at you.  
“Come on!” The man screamed, waving his hand for you to join him. Without thinking, you nodded and ran towards the man. You’d take a stranger’s blue eyes over dead ones any day.  
You followed the mysterious man through yet another hall to a back entrance. Just before the two of you reached the door, the man stopped, turning to you.  
“There are tons of them this way, so keep your eyes peeled. I’ll cover you. And no matter what, stay behind me,” he commanded. His voice was low, raspy, but genuine. And for some reason, you trusted him. “C’mon.” You nodded before following him out the back door.  
He wasn’t kidding. The loading dock was crawling with zombies, but he never faltered. Each shot he took was dead on. Shit. He had to have been a cop or something. Military, maybe? Or he just had a lot of time to practice.  
You kept your machete at your side, nailing a few zombies that got too close. The man led you to a large, supped up, gray truck. The thing was straight out of a freaking movie. You followed as he leapt onto the bed of the truck, then he reached out his hand.  
“C’mon!” You grabbed his hand and he hoisted you up as the truck began to pull away. Then, the man handed you one of the rifles from a bag tied to the anchors in the truck bed. He nodded as the two of you knelt behind the lifted tailgate. “Can you shoot?”  
You nodded. “Hell yeah!” you screamed over the roar of the engine.  
“Good! Welcome aboard!” The man laughed as he winked at you. Then, he took aim at the creatures following the truck, and fired.


	2. Hell on Earth Part 2

As the truck picked up speed, you lowered your gun and slid back towards the cab. You leaned your head against the back window as you studied your rescuer. His deep brown hair was short and thick, sticking out in several directions. His stunning blue eyes were surrounded by lightly tanned skin, underneath all of the dirt and grime. There were several patches of blood on his hoodie, along with the toes of his boots. Something about it all calmed you. You’d never admit it, but you trusted him. You chalked it up to the fact that he had just saved your life.  
Your eyes widened as you realized something. You were in the back of a truck with strangers going… somewhere. You turned to the man, clutching your machete at your side as almost every ounce of trust faded.  
“Cas,” he answered you before you could ask. “I’m Cas. Well, my full name is Castiel, but no one really calls me that.” He smiled warmly as he sat beside you, a little closer than you thought he would. “Dean is driving. He’s our leader, unofficially.” He chuckled as he lowered his voice. “He has a bit of a God complex.” You smiled, flicking your gaze back to the attractive man gripping the steering wheel. “Sam, Dean’s brother, is riding shotgun. In the back seat are Benny and Chuck.”  
You nodded. “I’m Y/N,” you answered over the sound of the truck’s engine.  
“Are you out here alone?” he asked. You couldn’t help but feel weird as a hint of concern crossed his face.  
You nodded again. “Yeah. I have been for most of the time. Ya know, since everyone got sick. There were a few people I bunked down with here and there, but not for too long. There hasn’t been a place that was safe enough to settle in for good.” You turned back towards Dean, whose eyes were fixed on the road ahead. “Where are we going?”  
“We have a small settlement just down the road a ways. It’s not much, but it’s safe.” He glanced out to the side for a moment before returning his gaze to you. “You’re welcome to stay. We have an extra room. It doesn’t need to be permanent, unless you like it there.”  
Your stomach flipped at his words. A stranger was allowing you to stay with them as long as you needed? Giving you your own room in a place that’s been deemed safe? It sounded way too good to be true.  
“You guys are cannibals or anything, are you?” You stared deep into his eyes as your brow furrowed.  
Cas laughed. “No, we aren’t cannibals. People are too chewy.” He winked, making you smile.  
Since the shit hit the fan, you hadn’t found another person who made you smile the way Cas did. He was a good person; you knew it in your heart. Maybe this was something good. Maybe you had finally found a place to call home.  
You gasped as the truck approached its destination. There were four homes lined up beside each other, two two-story homes sandwiched by two one-story homes. The roofs of the one-stories were barely visible over the tall, metal wall that surrounded the complex. There were two men at the entrance, standing on top of the wall behind barbed wire.  
Holy shit.  
You could feel Cas’ smirk as you stared up at the impressive fortress. “It’s not much, but it’s safe. Nothing has gotten through those walls since we put them up about eight months ago.” You winced as Cas’ hand rested on your shoulder. “Like I said, you’re welcome here. We have the space. Plus, you’re tough. I’m sure Dean will find you useful.”  
“You don’t even know my last name.” You cocked your head.  
Cas nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. You aren’t a cannibal, are you?” he mocked, making you laugh. “My full name is Castiel Novak. Dean and Sam are the Winchester brothers, the rest you’ll learn as you meet them.”  
“Y/L/N.”  
“Well, Y/F/N Y/L/N, welcome to our humble abode.” Castiel laughed as you stared up at the two men on top of the walls. There seemed to be a walkway up there, with chairs and heavy artillery.  
“How did you get the guns?” You inquired as the gates opened.  
Cas chuckled. “Right before we found this place, we hit an Air Force base just outside of Sacramento. We grabbed what we could carry before heading up to the mountains. We head back down every few weeks, grabbing what we can find. But it’s at least a two day trip, having such limited transportation, so we ration what we can.” Cas motioned to your machete. “You’re pretty good with that.” He lowered himself out of the truck, offering his hand to you. You took it and jumped out of the truck, staring around at your new surroundings. “And where’d you learn to shoot so well? You aren’t an assassin, are you?”  
You laughed. “I’m not a cannibal or and assassin. My dad owned a gun store in my hometown. He taught me from a young age how to protect myself.” You stared down at your feet as you slid your machete into its sheath. “I thank him for that every day. He died right when all of this shit started. A group of people raided the store as people started… changing into those things. My dad tried to protect his belongings, and someone shot him. He died almost instantly.”  
Cas sighed deeply, lowering his head. “I’m sorry.” Cas’ gaze lifted to yours. “Let’s get you inside. I’ll show you were you can stay. There’s wells here, so we have running water, and food. Let’s get you fed and cleaned up.” His eyes scanned over the blood that drenched your shirt. “And I’ll see if Meg or Jo have something you can change into.”  
You smiled, patting your backpack. “Thanks, but I have some back up clothes.” A chuckle left your lips. “I managed to grab some before those zombies found me.”  
Cas chuckled, thoroughly impressed. “Dean will definitely have a use for you.”


	3. Hell on Earth Part 3

The large two-story home was pretty well kept, considering there were so many people under its roof. The kitchen was large, reasonably stocked with nonperishable food and a small amount of fresh fruits and veggies. The gray and white granite countertops were straight out of a Home and Gardens magazine, and surrounded by white cabinets. There was a gas stove with an oven to the right. If you were being honest, it was almost uncomfortably normal.  
You sat on a bar stool along the center island, facing the stove. Castiel stood on the other side, fumbling around through the cabinets for a minute before finding what he was looking for. Cas smiled as he stirred a single serve mac n’ cheese cup and handed it to you. He also handed you a water bottle, something you were more than overjoyed to receive.  
“I hope you aren’t lactose intolerant.” His chuckle made you smile. He was kind, and that alone was refreshing.  
“Nope.” You accepted the food gladly, enjoying the smell of the mysterious, melted cheese product before digging in with a plastic spoon. “Thank you, Cas. You know, for letting me stay here.”  
Cas nodded. “Of course. Us humans have to look out after each other. And, in the end, it isn’t my choice. Like I said, Dean is kind of the unofficial leader around here. But, he likes you already, and he agreed to let you stay. Permanently, if you’d like.” Cas bit into an apple before carrying on. “I’ll show you to your room. It’s upstairs, next to the bathroom. Like I said, we have running water thanks to a well system Bobby and Dean rigged up. You can shower and settle in. I’ll show you the place tomorrow.” His blue eyes were locked on yours as he spoke every word. You hadn’t even noticed his gaze until he stopped speaking, continuing to stare at you.  
Something about Cas made you comfortable. He was a kind presence, comforting even. His low, raspy voice was powerful, but soft, much like the rest of him. He was good people; that much you could make out.  
A tall, slender man marched into the kitchen, nodding at you before opening the refrigerator door. Sam, who you remembered from the car ride, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and twisted it open.  
“So, Y/N, where were you before we found you? It looks like you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in days,” Sam asked before taking a sip of his water.  
“I was in a tool shed behind an abandoned house. It was cold, but it blocked the wind, and it had a door that locked. I was in there for several days before I ran out of supplies, and ended up at the Target.” You finished your first warm meal in what felt like forever and smiled. “And now I’m here.”  
Sam nodded. “We’re glad you’re here. We could use another good shot.” Sam seemed almost as nice as Cas, which eased you a bit. You weren’t going to let your guard down, of course, but they seemed safe.  
“Thanks,” you muttered as you placed your empty cup in front of you and smiled. “It’s nice to be in an insulated building, out of the cold. And thanks for the food.” You glanced over at Cas, who was still staring.  
“Well, if you earn your keep, and don’t try to murder us, it’s your food too. We just ask that you take only what you need,” Sam answered as he leaned against the counter. “Dean wants to talk to you in the morning. I think he already has a job lined up for you.”  
You nodded, still in mild shock from everything. Shelter, humans, food. All found by pure happenstance. But, you weren’t going to jinx it. The best you could do was accept it and move on.  
Cas moved towards you, grabbing your empty food container and tossing it into a trashcan beside the island. “Let’s get you to your room. I’m sure you’re exhausted and eager to get that shirt off you.” You pursed your lips as you remembered the bloody shirt you were still wearing. Unfortunately, you had gotten used to being covered in gross things, it being the apocalypse and all. Showers and clean clothes were becoming harder and harder to find.  
“Um, yeah. That’s a good idea.” You smiled as you stood and followed Cas out of the kitchen to the staircase.  
The upstairs hallway was lined with doors to the left and right of the staircase. The master bedroom door was to your left, its door closed. Beside that was a small, open closet, filled with miscellaneous blankets and bedding items. Then, the hall moved to the right, displaying a multitude of doors and windows.  
Cas led you to the first door on the left, opening it to reveal a small room. “It’s not much. It’s technically not even a bedroom, since it doesn’t have a closet. But, it’s four walls that are all yours.” He gestured towards the room with his hand before taking a slight bow. “My Lady,” he joked as you entered the room. You giggled while taking in the small room. It was snug, but it did the job just fine. There was a double-sized mattress shoved into the corner, across from a small dresser. Plain, navy blue curtains covered the small window in the middle of the far wall. This room was clearly a small den for its original tenants.  
“I’ll go find some sheets and a blanket for your bed. The bathroom is the next door over, if you wanted to shower. The bottle in there is a homemade shampoo-soap concoction that Ellen made up. Help yourself,” Cas explained before turning down the hall towards the doorless linen closet. “Oh, and towels are under the sink!” He shouted as he shuffled away. You grinned at the thought of a shower. You didn’t care if it was hot or cold, you just wanted to feel clean.  
The fact that the place actually had hot water was a freaking dream come true. After spending a good five minutes under the steaming hot stream, you used the pleasantly scented soap Cas had mentioned, and wiped off all of the filth and grime from the last few weeks.  
Once you were clean and dry, you slipped on your tank top and a clean pair of sweatpants, before leaving the bathroom and heading back to your new room.  
A smile curled over your lips as you spotted a set of light blue sheets folded neatly on the edge of your bed, topped with a dark grey fleece blanket. You approached them, closing the door behind you. They were soft and smelled clean. Hell, there was even a fitted sheet for the mattress.  
After making your bed, you grabbed your backpack and tossed it on top of the small wooden dresser. There were four drawers, which you knew would never be completely filled. But, if you were going to call the place your home, you might as well settle in. You leisurely removed the clothes from your backpack and folded them, placing them into the drawers.   
A knock at the door startled you, causing you to jump. You raised an eyebrow as you walked over to the door. You opened the door to find Dean with his arms folded across his chest. He was smirked down at you, clad in a tight, black t-shirt and dark jeans.  
“I hope you’re ready for a busy day tomorrow,” he growled as he gave you a once over. “I’ll give you a tour of the grounds, and explain everything about your new job title. Oh, and you’ll be shadowing Cas and Meg on the wall tomorrow night, keeping watch.” He took a step forward, uncrossing his arms. “So, sleep well, darlin’.” His tongue flicked between his lips as he situated himself just a few inches from you. You stood firmly in your spot, not budging, despite his obvious advances.   
“Thanks,” you murmured. You tried to sound at least half genuine, since he was the head honcho of the joint. But, from what you could tell, he was a cocky ass. Well, at least you could rest easy know there was at least one asshat in your company.  
The moment Dean’s hand met your shoulder, the door across from yours opened. Castiel peered his head out, his gaze immediately locking on you. Your eyes flicked over to him before landing back on the muscular leader.  
Dean cleared his throat as he peered into your room. “You know, if you feel lonely, or your room feels too small, you are always welcome to share mine. I have a king sized bed.” He winked as he turned towards his room. You just nodded as you watched him walk away. God, finally.  
Cas raised an eyebrow at you, his face loaded with expression. He seemed mildly amused by Dean’s words, and a bit… jealous? No, he couldn’t be. You shook your head before smiling over to Cas, wishing him a silent goodnight.  
At least one thing Dean said was right. You needed to get some sleep. Peering down at the bed, you smiled. It had been too long since you had slept on a mattress. You crawled into the bed, humming lightly as you savored the softness of the sheets. Then, you pulled the fleece blanket over you, wrapping yourself in its warmth. This was the best thing that had happened to you since the whole zombie shit show had begun. Now, you just needed to make sure you didn’t do anything to fuck it up.


	4. Hell on Earth Part 4

You mentally thanked yourself for grabbing the hoodie sweatshirt during your venture to Target. The brisk cold barely perforated the thick material as you stood on the small front porch of your new home. Dean promised to give you a tour of the grounds, which you silently dreaded as you remembered your little conversation the night before. But, as long as the grounds were safe, you figured you could deal with the cocky leader.  
“Hey, Y/N,” a soft, familiar voice called out from the doorway behind you. Your heart jumped a little as you turned to see Cas, bundled in a think jacket, staring back at you. His bright blue eyes smiled along with his lips, making you stomach flutter. Oh, thank god.  
“Hey, Cas. I thought Dean was supposed to show me around the place?” You gestured around you. “Not that I couldn’t figure it out for myself,” you chuckled lightly.  
Cas smiled down at you as he stepped out of the doorway. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you. Dean, Sam and Bobby are working on a weakening part of the back all. Some zombies almost got in during the night. So, you’re stuck with me.” He winked, making your skin prickle.  
“Oh, I think I can live with that,” you laughed flirtatiously. “So, where do we start?”  
Cas’ hand grazed over your shoulder as he led you down the front steps of the house, then turned back toward the structures. You studied them, noticing several things you hadn’t seen the night before. There were small, metal bars over the bottom floor windows of every home, probably for protection from zombies, and survivors trying to ambush them.  
“You guys have done a lot in a short period of time.” You turned to Cas, who was already peering down at you.  
“There are quite a few of us. We all knew each other from before. So, you could say we make a pretty good team.” Cas smiled before lifting his gaze to something behind you. You turned to see what caught his attention. Your eyes landed on a slight man, shorter than Cas, who slowly approached the two of you. His thin lips were curled into an almost childish grin.  
“Well, hello pretty lady. I’m Garth,” he extended his hand, as he looked you up and down. You shook his hand, rolling your eyes playfully.  
You turned back to Cas. “Is everyone here going to flirt with me?” Cas just smiled as he huffed a small laugh.  
“I don’t blame him.” His words silenced you. Sure, he was just being playful and funny, but there was something genuine behind his words. You ignored him, forcing a laugh.  
“Well, don’t let me keep you two. I’m off to my shift.” Garth pointed to the narrow steps that led up to the top of the wall. “I’ll see y’all later.” You smiled and nodded at the slender man before turning back to Cas.  
You followed your tour guide toward the one-story home directly beside the house you had spent the night in. The smaller home appeared to be vacant of people, possibly a storehouse of some sort. Following him through the front door, you glanced around. The front room, which was apparently a living room at some point, was equipped with racks and shelves. Most of them were about half full with food. Various cans and boxes were organized according to ingredients: vegetables, canned meats, and jarred goods.  
“This is where we leave the edible goods we find, and store the ones we grow here.” Cas pointed around the room. “The rule is to take what you need. And that’s about it.”  
You turned to him. “You have a garden here?” He nodded.  
“Yeah. You’ll see it as we continue the tour.” He winked at you again, before continuing down the hall. He really needed to stop doing that.  
He led you down the hall to a large bedroom, which had been transformed into a pretty impressive armory. There was a multitude of guns, all different sizes, lining the walls around the room. Large dressers were scattered along the bottom of the walls, most likely filled with melee weapons and ammunition. You couldn’t help but smile as you studied the different weapons, remembering your father.  
“Holy crap,” you muttered, wide-eyed. “You guys hit the mother lode.”  
“If you didn’t feel safe before, I hope you do now.” He laughed as he nudged you. “The same golden rule applies to this room. If you feel like you need a gun, or two, you’re welcome to take what you need.” You nodded as you reached for a pistol that sat propped up on the top of one of the dressers. Cas smiled. “Nice choice. Although, you’re pretty good with that machete.” You both smiled at each other.  
After grabbing a box of ammo and slipping it onto the small bag that rested on your shoulder, you turned to him. “Yeah, well, I’ll need a range weapon at some point. But, this thing had gotten me through some pretty think skulls.” You tapped the machete at your side.  
Cas led you through the rest of the house, showing you the small, poorly stocked pharmacy room, and the miscellaneous things that had been collected and stored in the kitchen cabinets. Then, he led you out the back door, into the garden. Your eyes widened as you studied the impressive space. There were several small greenhouses, mostly made by pieces of broken windows that had been sealed together.  
“This is incredible,” you whispered. “Who keeps this thing up?” you asked as you peered into one of the greenhouses.  
“Well, Ellen is the main genius behind it. But, her daughter Jo helps. We have tomatoes, soybeans, corn, beets, and other random veggies. We have been trying for wheat for a while, but the weather has been making it tricky. But, like I said, Ellen is a genius. She’ll figure something out.” Cas pointed over to the far corner of the garden, to a large white box. “We have bees too, for honey. That was courtesy of the owner of the home before we got here. They must have loved honey, and getting stung.”  
Your entire body relaxed as you took it all in. It all seemed too good to be true. But, you couldn’t keep thinking that. Maybe, for once, luck was on your side.  
“Ah, here comes our almighty leader,” Cas grumbled sarcastically as he waved at Dean. Dean gripped a large hammer that he balanced on his broad shoulder. His golden auburn hair sat in a shuffled heap atop his head, dirt sprinkled across his freckled face.  
“The weakened section has been reinforced. None of those fuckers are getting in without a tank.” Dean chuckled as he scanned your form. “I hope Cas here has given you an in depth tour so far.” He grinned, as he took as step forward. “I was looking forward to doing it myself, but duty called.”  
You rolled your eyes internally. Ass. “He’s doing a great job so far. You have quite the place here.” Dean bit his lip, his face gleaming with pride.  
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t all me.” Dean turned towards the storehouse. “I won’t keep you two. Just be ready for tonight.” His voice was low, slightly ominous. What the hell did that mean? Was he going to sacrifice you to the zombie gods or something?  
Cas noticed the uneasiness on your face and platted your shoulder. “He’s just talking about going on watch tonight. You will shadow Meg and myself on the wall. It’s nothing really. We just make sure the wall holds up and that too many of those flesh-eating assholes don’t cluster in one spot. Plus, it’s good target practice, not that you need it.”  
You huffed a laugh. “Yeah. Sounds great.” And, with that, Cas led you onward to the rest of the tour.  
You reported to the front gate just after sundown, as instructed. A woman with long, deep brown hair was leaning against the wall, a large rifle slung over her shoulder. He popped off the wall and approached you, smiling. Something about her seemed… tense. Almost as if she wasn’t entirely happy you were there. Well, you couldn’t blame her. You were a stranger in her fortress.  
“Meg,” she barked in a low, raspy voice. You shook her extended hand, forcing a smile.  
“Y/N.” She studied you, the slight smile quickly leaving her face.  
“So, you’re the chick the boys found in the Target, huh? Well, consider yourself lucky. They usually leave people to the monsters. I’m sure, if the boys didn’t think you were so pretty, you would have been zombie chow.” She smirked, almost snarling like a hungry dog.  
You thanked your stars that Cas walked up to you before you could react. He smiled down at you before nodding over at Meg. “Ready, Y/N?”  
“I pulled an all-nighter studying,” you joked, making him laugh. Meg just glared over at you. What the hell was up her ass?  
“After you, ladies.” Cas gestured to the stairway, which you and Meg both climbed up slowly.  
The wall was at least twelve feet tall, but felt more like fifty feet when you stood at the top. You could see much farther out than you expected. You stared off into the darkened distance, able to see over some of the rooftops of the smaller homes. The rest of the homes in the housing area appeared to have been either burned or aggressively ransacked at some point, leaving them in shambles.  
“So, we just sit up here and watch for curious zombies?” you asked as you stared down the length of the wall.  
Cas nodded. “Yep. Two are always stationed at the gate, which is the easiest part to knock down. One person walks the length of the wall, keeping an eye out for any weak spots or clusters of zombies.”  
“Sounds easy enough.” Your gaze turned to Meg, who was already making her way along the wall.  
“I’ll walk tonight!” she screamed, not looking back. Cas just rolled his eyes as he lowered himself into one of the chairs behind you. You mimicked him, taking the chair to his right.  
You bit your lip as you contemplated your next question. You really shouldn’t pry, being the new addition and all, but curiosity was killing you.  
“So, what’s up with Meg?” Your voice was more of a mumble, barely audible.  
Cas snapped towards you, his face hard to read. “What do you mean?” You sank in your chair, instantly regretting our question. But, you kept on, trying not to seem phased by his reaction.  
“I mean, it seems like she instantly hated me. Did I do something?” Your eyes scanned the grounds in front of you as you tried to do your job.  
Castiel laughed. “She just gets jealous and prickly whenever another woman enters my life, not that there have been many.” You turned to him, confused. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. “Meg and I hooked up a couple of times just after this place was founded. Hell, we didn’t even have a wall yet. I didn’t know how long I was going to be alive, and it just seemed like a good idea at the time. I think she read into it a lot more than I did.” He pursed his lips. “Then, as this place got safer and safer, and once I realized I was going to live longer than I had thought, I broke it off.” He shrugged. “I think she’s still bitter about it.”  
You nodded slowly as your mind swirled. “You thought you were going to die sooner than later, and she was one of the last woman on Earth.”  
Cas laughed. “Yeah, basically.” He smiled over at you. “That’s not the kind of person I really am, Y/N. Just so you know.”  
Your stomach clenched. Just so you know? Why did he care what you thought? Sure, you two were quickly becoming allies, friends even. But why did he care about what you thought about him when it came to things like that? Romantic things?  
A shudder beneath your feet stirred you from your internal ramble. Your eyes shot back up to Cas. Pure horror stretched across his face as he quickly reached for his walkie-talkie. The moment he held it to his lips, the wall shook again, harder this time. Shit.  
“Dean, we have a situation.” Cas’ voice was low as he concentrated. “At the wall.” Cas launched from his chair. You quickly followed him, readying the rifle he had given you when he arrived at the wall. The wooden platform below you rumbled beneath your boots as you jogged behind Cas.  
He stopped in his tracks as he glanced down. Just beside one of the corners, there was a large mob of zombies, slamming their rotting bodies and fists against the wall. Your eyes widened as you spotted a weakened section, right where the creatures were trying to make their entrance. You lifted your rifle, quickly taking out one zombie, then another. Cas mimicked you, but it was no use; there were too many of them. And, the hoard was growing.  
“Where the hell is Meg?” Just as Cas asked the question, the gates opened behind you. You turned to see Meg sprinting out the doors, aiming her gun as he made her way towards the cluster. Cas growled as he watched her. “Dumbass.”  
You spun back towards the group to see if they had spotted her. As you turned, one of your boots caught on a nail in the floorboard. You swayed, struggling for balance, before leaning towards the edge of the wall.  
“Shit!” you screamed as you leg made contact with the side. You had hoped the small siding would catch you, but it didn’t. You squeezed your eyes shut and held your breath as you slowly fell towards the hungry creatures below.


	5. Hell on Earth Part 5

Your eyes shot open as a firm hand gripped your wrist, yanking you back to the platform. Another hand quickly snaked around your waist, forcing you against a warm, firm body. You gazed up to meet Cas. There was a hint of concern behind his darkened eyes.  
“Don’t do that,” he growled, holding you firmly in place. Your eyes locked on his for what seemed like an eternity.  
Then, the floor beneath you began to shake again. Double shit. Cas loosened his grip on you and rushed towards the stairs. You quickly followed, your gun at the ready.  
The moment you reached the top of the stairs, the floor shook violently beneath you. Screams erupted near the gates, interrupting the numerous groans from the growing hoard of zombies. You sped down the stairs, clutching your gun. “Cas!” you shrieked. But, the first face you saw wasn’t Cas. It was Dean. He turned to you, clenching his teeth.  
“What the fuck is happening?” he demanded in a booming tone as he approached. He was dressed in a fitted jacket and jeans, barely enough to brace the chill in the winter air.  
“A group of zombies is weakening the wall at the Northwest corner. Meg went to stop them, and Cas followed her. That’s all I know.” Groans and snarls behind you caught your attention. You turned toward the bone-chilling sound. Dozens of zombies had broken through the double-layered wall, and were swarming around the storehouse, quickly making their way toward you.  
“Move!” Dean shouted as he stormed past you, heading for the hoard. You followed him, gun in tow.  
The first shot came from you, nailing a zombie straight between the eyes. Then, Dean fired. A third shot came from behind you, where you found Sam, quickly approaching. An older man in a dirty trucker’s hat marched behind him. The four of you fired mercilessly, taking out the group within minutes. But, all of you knew there were more on the way.  
“We need to repair this, now.” Sam snapped. “Bobby, grab whatever the fuck you can find from the storage house. We can’t let any more in.”  
“What about Cas? And Meg? They ran outside the gate.” You turned around, your eyes widening at the sudden sound of gunfire. “The gates are still open. We need to close them before more get in.”  
“You go, we’ve got this.” Dean nodded at you. “And be careful.”  
You sprinted toward the gates, internally cringing at every shout from beyond the wall. Gunfire erupted again, signaling that there was someone still fighting as you turned the corner, leaving the compound. The moment you rounded the corner, you spotted Cas and Meg, standing just feet in front of Garth and two women you didn’t recognize. Two men you also didn’t recognize were at the top of the wall, acting as snipers.  
Without wasting another second, you joined the gunfire. Each shot you released was carefully planned, contrasting from the semi-automatic fire from the older woman beside you. You subconsciously stepped forward with each shot, until you were suddenly in front of the line.  
Reaching down, you hunted your side bag for more ammo. “Shit,” you muttered as you found the bag empty. For a moment, you froze. Then, you remembered your trusty little friend. You slipped your machete from its sheath and gripped it firmly. As a corpse approached you, you swung, missing his head and hitting its shoulder. You quickly lifted your blade from the creature and swung again, nailing the fucker in the skull. You continued your assault with the army of gunfire behind you. You just prayed that a stray bullet didn’t hit you. You kept swinging until each zombie was lying on the floor, double dead.  
Struggling to catch your breath, you turned to the people behind you. Garth and a thin blonde woman looked at you with wide eyes.  
“Yo, Cas, where did you find this chick again? She’s a fucking gladiator!” You laughed at the scrawny man, smiling with pride.  
A bruising pain on your right hip ceased your laughing as you stumble sideways. You clutched your side as you turned to your right, immediately spotting Meg storming closer. She lifted her boot, aiming her leg at you. Did she just fucking kick you? That’s mature.  
Cas grabbed you, forcing himself between the two of you. “What the hell are you doing, Meg?”  
She snarled as he kept her eyes on you. “We let a stranger in, and this happens the next day? What are the fucking odds? That wall has been stable for months!”  
“Bullshit!” You shouted. “Stable, my ass! First of all, Dean and Sam were repairing a weakened part near the garden earlier today. Secondly, why the fucking hell would I put my own life in jeopardy, let alone all of yours? What could I possibly gain from killing you off? I’ll tell you what I would lose. I’d lose the first real roof I’ve had over my head in several months. I’d lose the first access I’ve had to safe food in longer than I could remember. Oh, and I’d lose the only people who hadn’t instantly started shooting at me since this all started.” You glared at her, squeezing your fists at your sides. “I don’t know about you, but that seems like a whole fucking lot to lose!” You glared at her. A part of you beamed as you watched her face drop. “Oh, and one more thing. How the hell would I weaken a metal wall all by my lonesome, without anyone noticing? Oh yeah, I couldn’t!”  
Before anyone could react, you turned back towards the gates, storming off towards the house. You’d had enough. You needed a shower and a long night’s sleep.  
The moment you passed through the gates, you spotted Dean, Sam, and the older man heading towards you. They were carrying a large piece of metal they were most likely planning to use on the broken outer wall. You glanced past them at the reasonably repaired inner wall, smiling internally at the slightly increased sense of safety.  
Dean approached you, smirking. “Thanks for your help tonight, Y/N. I’m glad you’re here.” He nodded in appreciated. “Cas was right, you really are a hell of a shot.”  
You huffed, still fuming from the confrontation. “Thanks. I’m gonna head in. I’m guessing you guys have it covered from here?”  
“Yeah. Sam, Bobby, and I are going to repair the outer wall.” Dean slapped his hands onto your shoulder, patting it a few times. “You did good, Y/N.” You smiled at the muscular leader. “I’d like to talk to you when you have a few minutes.” You nodded politely before parting, and heading back to the house.  
You sighed deeply as you exited the bathroom door, fresh from your shower. You slipped a comb through your hair as you headed towards your room, yearning for the comfort of your mattress.  
Your eyes shifted to the open door across from yours. You spotted Cas, seated on the edge of his bed, scrubbing his boots with a small towel. He was still covered in dirt and small dots of splattered blood. His hair was a mess, sticking out in at least five different directions. He lifted his head, turning towards you. You smiled down at him as you realized something. He was gorgeous.  
“Hey,” he muttered as he lips curled into a half smile. He looked beyond exhausted. It was just after three in the morning according to the analog clock on Cas’ bedside table.  
“Hey back,” you greeted. “Thanks for, you know, not letting me fall into a hoard of zombies. That would have sucked.”  
Cas chuckled as his smile widened. “Yeah, it would have.”  
You nodded as silence threaded the air. Cas never looked away from you. Something about his gaze calmed you. You nodded a silent goodnight before turning towards your room.  
“Y/N,” Cas called to you as you took a step forward. You turned to him and watched as he slowly made his way over to you. He looked sore; you all were.  
“Hmm?” you hummed as you lifted your eyes back to his. Your breath rushed out of you as you noticed his proximity. There were mere inches between the two of you. He held your gaze as he lifted his hand, gently running it up and down you upper arm. You instantly tensed under his touch.  
“You know, when I saw you nearly fall off the wall, it scared me. It scared me in a way it shouldn’t have. I mean, of course it would have scared me to see you fall, and that would have been horrible. But, something in me truly hurt when I thought about you tumbling to your death. For just a moment, something inside me shut down.” Cas lowered his gaze for just a moment as his cheeks reddened. “I mean, like I said, I barely know you.”  
“Who says I would have died?” You asked, trying your hardest to make him smile. “I’m fierce. Those fuckers wouldn’t have known what hit them, literally.”  
Cas narrowed his gaze slightly. “I’m not laughing at that.” He stared at you for a moment before his lips quivered, and he gave in. A low, sweet chuckle left his throat as his hand moved up to your shoulder.  
“Ha!” you laughed. “Got you!”  
Cas just nodded as he pursed his lips. “Yeah, you did.” Your skin prickled as his hand continued upward, grazing up your neck to your cheek. You jaw quivered as he slowly leaned in, pressing his lips to yours. He held you there, allowing you to savor the taste of him. He was warm and sweet, with a hint of dust from the events of the night. But, you didn’t care. He was exactly what you wanted, what you needed.  
You whimpered slightly as he pulled away, smiling down at you. There was a dark line of dirt smeared over his nose, which made you smile. “You should go clean up.” You playfully shoved his chest. “I’ll see you in the morning.” You pressed one more quick kiss against his lips, surprising him, before turning toward your room.  
It took everything in your power not to look back as your body tingled with emotion. You didn’t know if this was something he would forget in the morning, or if everything was about to change.


	6. Hell on Earth Part 6

It had been two days since Cas kissed you outside his room, and for two days, it was all you could think about. Meg had left you alone after the chaotic night, which put you at ease just a little bit. But, there were still so many emotions flooding your mind. It was obvious that Cas had romantic feelings for you. That much you could gather on your own.  
And, if you were going to be honest with yourself, you felt something too. Sure, you were ecstatic to have a safe haven to call home for now, and to be surrounded by people you were almost positive wouldn’t kill and eat you. You blamed most of the foreign, happy feelings on those facts. But, there was something that sparked when you saw those blue eyes and that perfectly rustled hair. Your heart thumped just a little faster, and your skin tingled. But, you couldn’t rush anything. Especially since, nowadays, you never knew how long people were going to be around.  
Leaning your head back against the wall, you sighed, allowing your body to relax into your mattress. One thing was certain. You were beyond thankful that Cas and his friends had found you when they did.  
A sudden knock at your door spooked you from your thoughts. You shuffled off your mattress and hurried to the door, opening it with a lot more enthusiasm than necessary. Your eyes met green ones, causing your gaze to narrow slightly.  
“Hey, Dean.” You smiled nonchalantly, secretly remembering his little speech the last time he stood in your doorway. “What’s up?”  
Dean smirked as he studied your flannel shirt, sporting a few holes along the sides, and skin-tight jeans. “Hey, Y/N. I just wanted to let you know that Cas, Sam, and I are going on a run this afternoon. I wanted you to join us. We could use a smaller person to get into tight spaces. Plus, you’re a hell of a shot.” Dean’s lips curled even more as he scanned over you again. “And we could really use someone easy on the eyes.”  
You just rolled your eyes as his comment, chuckling slightly. “Yeah, ‘cause it really helps to be attractive when you’re killing zombies.”  
“Well, it helps motivate those around you.” Dean winked at you as he stepped back. “We’ll meet in front of the house in ninety minutes. Pack light, but heavy, if you catch my drift.” You just nodded as you watched the broad-shouldered man head for the stairs. He was kind of a cocky ass, but there was something about Dean Winchester that made you smile. He was fearless. And, if you really looked deep enough, you were sure that there was a fluffy teddy bear inside him just begging to be hugged.  
You let out a deep sigh as you retreated back into your room to gather what you needed. You hadn’t showered in nearly two days, so you grabbed a pair of jeans, a clean long-sleeved shirt, and your hoodie, then headed for the bathroom. The thought of warm water was the only things you could think of. You still hadn’t gotten over the plush amenities that the small compound had, but you were beyond thankful for them.  
You closed the door behind you and grabbed a towel from the cabinet, then quickly undressed before turning the water on. Beautiful swirls of steam lifted from the stream of water, making you smile.  
You quickly showered, enjoying the smell of the handmade lavender soap Ellen had made yesterday. How she managed to grow all of those amazing plants in the dead of winter was beyond you, but you weren’t complaining.  
A rustling on the other side of the shower curtain made you freeze. What the hell? You hadn’t even heard the door open. And would someone really come in without announcing themselves? The sink ran for a moment, then stopped.  
Your hand slowly gripped the edge of the curtain as you steadied you breathing. The last thing you needed was some guy you barely knew in the bathroom when you were showering. Or worse, a zombie, But zombies couldn’t work sinks, could they?  
Biting your lip, you snapped the shower curtain to the side a little too far. Your eyes widened as you noticed how exposed you were to…  
Blue eyes.  
Cas’ gaze fixed on you as he held his toothbrush against his mouth. A small splotch of blue toothpaste sat in the corner of his lips as his eyes gazed up and down your form. Your entire body shook, burning under his stare.  
“Cas, I’m so sorry. I thought someone was being rude and just barged in. Not that it really mattered. This is really your bathroom too. I’m sorry. I’m just not used to living with people anymore,” you rambled. You simply couldn’t move as you watched the man spit out his toothpaste and rinse his brush, before turning back to you.  
Cas approached you, his lips slightly curled as he fixed his eyes on yours. Your body almost ached as he neared you, stopping when his toes touched the cool porcelain of the bathtub.  
“You have no need to be sorry,” Cas whispered as he leaned in, pressing his lips to yours, just as he did two nights before. The minty flavor of his soft lips awakened you in ways you hadn’t been in as long as you could remember. He captured your bottom lip between his, causing you to whimper as you leaned into him. A small part of you wanted to slip that t-shirt off his shoulders and pull him into the shower with you. You needed more than polite conversations and the occasional kiss. You needed to feel him against you, pressing you against the tiles as the warm water washed away your sins.  
But, just as the kiss deepened, Cas pulled away. He smiled down at you, giving you one more scan with his eyes before taking a step back.  
“Finish your shower. Dean wants us downstairs a little sooner than expected.” He chuckled as he stared up at your hair. “You’ve still got a little soap in your hair,” he chuckled as he moved a small strand from your face. Then, he leaned in again, brushing his lips against yours. He quickly pulled away again. “I’ll see you downstairs.”  
You watched as Cas turned to the door and exited, not looking back. Well, that certainly didn’t help steady your thoughts at all. You almost felt like you needed to shower all over again from the way your body reacted to him.  
And there was your answer. You did have romantic feelings for him. But, you needed to take it slow. And you knew very well that doing that was going to be way harder than it sounded.  
Everyone met in front of the house as ordered. Sam, Cas, and you were all lightly packed and armed, ready for the run. Dean stood a few feet in front of you, facing all of you, studying your weapons. You wore your machete proudly at your side, with a pistol and small ammo pouch on the other side. Dean simply nodded at you, sneaking a wink, before moving over to his younger brother.  
A fifth member of the group scampered over to join the team. It was a man you had officially met just the day before. Chuck smiled over at you and nodded, before slapping Dean on the shoulder.  
“So, the Mega Mart, huh? That’s a bit of a trek,” Chuck questioned Dean as he gripped the rifle that hanged from his shoulder.  
Dean nodded. “That’s why I wanted you out here so early. It’s a forty minute car ride each way, so that means we need to be alert the whole time, or we won’t make it back by sundown.” The rest of you nodded at your leader. “Sam, Chuck and I will ride in the truck. We will probably need a second car, so Cas and Y/N will ride separately.”  
Cas glanced over at you, smiling sweetly, which made your heart flutter. Shit, what the fuck was happening to you? You smiled back, then quickly turned your gaze from him. You sighed as you mind raced. The last thing you needed was a car ride alone with a man you barely knew, let alone a man who made you feel the way you did. But, one thing you did know was, it was going to be a long ride.


	7. Hell on Earth Part 7

You tugged on the worn car door handle and lifted yourself out of the car. Finally after nearly forty-five minutes of small talk and awkward stares, you were at your destination, and ready to kick some zombie ass. Oh, and get some much needed supplies. That was important too.  
Cas and you waited for Dean and his crew to walk over to you. All of you were on high alert for both zombies and other survivors, both equally as dangerous at this point.  
“Alright. We’ll enter through the front. Now, we haven’t been here in a while, and for all we know, it could be overrun with the undead. So, keep your eyes peeled, and stay in a group. We shouldn’t split up unless we need to.” Everyone nodded at their fearless leader’s commands. “Grab your gear and let’s get rolling.”  
You lugged your small pack onto your back, then secured your machete at your side. Your pistol was strapped to the other side, just in case. Then, you turned to Cas, who smiled back at you as he strapped on his weapon’s belt. His blue eyes sparkled in the early afternoon sunlight as he approached you. He slapped his hand slapped onto your shoulder.  
“You ready?” He asked as his eyes scanned quickly over you. You smiled and nodded.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”  
“Just relax. There are five of us. So, if there is anything in there, we’ll handle it.” Cas’ eyes never left yours as he spoke.  
You huffed a laugh, pressing your hand onto your hip. “Remember, Mr. Novak, I lived on my own for quite a while now, without walls to keep zombies out. That makes me more prepared than you at this point.”  
“That makes you a badass,” Cas commented. His tone was light and sincere, making you smile. You were a badass.  
Dean marched back other to the two of you, Sam and Chuck not far behind him. “Let’s head out.” Dean instructed, throwing a wink your way. Ugh. Dean freakin’ Winchester.  
Cas gripped the handle to the heavy door of the Mega Mart, waiting for the signal. Chuck was across from him, mirroring him almost exactly. Dean stood closest to the door, gripping his pistol, closely followed by his brother and you.  
“One… Two…” Dean gave a final nod. Cas and Chuck yanked the doors open, revealing an immense, dark room. It was empty. That fact coaxed a sigh from you as you followed the group into the large department store.  
Once all of you were in the building, you paused, glancing around. “Food, medication, you know what to get. Stay close to each other, and keep your eyes peeled,” Dean barked. He then turned towards the first few aisles, followed by Sam and Chuck, while you followed Cas to the left.  
Most of the aisles were pretty barren at the point, leaving a few canned goods and other random boxed foods behind. Cas grabbed what still seemed safe, and shoved it into his bag. Then, once you were sure that the few aisles around you had been scavenged thoroughly, the two of you headed for the small pharmacy.  
You launched over the counter, quickly followed by Cas. The two of you could hear Dean and Sam chatting about what should be taken, and what shouldn’t. You rolled your eyes as the brothers playfully argued.  
“Hey, Y/N, over here!” Cas called over to you. You shuffled over to the small, narrow shelves. Most of them were cracked or broken, probably from other people raiding the stock at some point.  
You rounded the small corner to find Cas fiddling with a large, white bottle. “What did you find?” you asked. Cas shook the large bottle to you.  
“There’s stuff in here,” he stated as he twisted the top off. “I’d say at least fifty pills.” He handed the bottle to you.  
“Cephalexin, great find Cas. I never thought we’d find antibiotics this long after the outbreak. Find anything else?”  
Cas shook his head. “Not yet, but there are a few bottles on the bottom shelf here.” You crouched down and inspected the bottles Cas was talking about. Ibuprofen 800mg. Furosemide 20mg. Dicloxacillin 250mg.  
You peered back up at Cas. “Extra strength Ibuprofen.” You picked up the bottle and shook it, smiling as your heard a few pills rattle inside. “Sweet. We now have stronger pain relief than the aspirin we have. We should still use the aspirin for fevers.” Then, you picked up the furosemide. “This is a diuretic, which helps if someone has heart issues or water retention for any reason.” You shoved both bottles into your small pack before picking up the third. “Di—Dicloxacillin? Wow. I took this when I had a Staph infection in high school. It’s another antibiotic.”  
Cas’ eyebrows lifted as he stared down at you in shock. “You know a lot about medicine.” He smiled. “You just keep getting more and more useful.” He winked, making your stomach flip.  
“I worked in a pharmacy for a little while when I got out of high school. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Hell, I still don’t know what I want to do. But, it doesn’t matter now—“  
A huge crash shot through the air, cutting you off. It sounded like it was coming from the back of the store. You froze staring up at Cas as you listened closely.  
“Cas! Y/N!” you heard Sam scream from a distance. You knew that couldn’t be good. Before you could say anything else, you launched from the floor and lifted yourself onto the counter. You peered over the aisles, only able to see so far. But, you could see enough. Shit.  
“Oh my god,” you muttered as you hurried off the counter. Cas was right behind you, his expression both of confused and concerned as he watched you.  
“What’s going on?”  
You shoved him backwards. “A huge hoard just busted through the back doors. There could be hundreds of them. We need to go around the side and find the others—“  
Cas grabbed your arm, cutting you off, and pulled you further into the pharmacy. He continued to lead you into the corner, where he opened a door. He less than gently shoved you through the doorway first, followed your inside, then slammed the door behind him. His hand quickly locked the two large deadbolts, holding the metal door in place.  
Your eyes studied the small back-stock room, a room that was now mostly empty. Light came through a small window above to doorknob on the metal door they just came through, and the door on the opposite side that was labeled as an outside exit. You moved over to the exit and peered out the window.  
“Shit,” you whispered as you watched at least a hundred zombies passing just in front of the door, heading towards the back of the store. “We have a large hoard.” You spun around to face Castiel. “We need to find the others and get back to the cars.”  
Cas shook his head. “They can fend for themselves for now. It would be suicide to go out there right now. Dean is smart, and so are Sam and Chuck. They’ll be fine. We need to stay here and ride it out a little.” Your eyes widened at his words.  
“Ride it out? In here?” Shit, this place was like the tool shed all over again. The room was no bigger than ten by ten, and every inch was lined with concrete. There were a few shelves, mostly covered in boxes of empty prescription dram bottles, but not much else. “We don’t have any food.”  
You could tell Cas was trying to remain calm as he approached you. “I have a few snacks and water bottles in my bag. We’ll be fine.” He ran his hands down your upper arms in an attempt to soothe you. And, you had to admit, it was working.  
You leaned against the wall behind you and slowly slid down, finally taking a seat on the cold ground. “Looks like this is our room for the night,” you groaned as you leaned your head back. Oh, joy.


	8. Hell on Earth Part 8

A loud slam against the metal door startled you awake. It was now night out. Wait a second… night? When you fell asleep, it had been nearly dusk. How did the time go by so quickly? Staring out into the room, your realized it didn’t matter. You were still stuck.  
Most of the groans were now coming from the door leading into the pharmacy, but there was still no way out. It was too dangerous to be out at night, especially in a poorly lit parking lot.  
You sighed deeply, secretly accepting your fate. Then, you realized that the room was slightly slanted. You were leaning on something soft and warm. Turning to your right, you realized that you were leaning on Cas’ shoulder. You lifted your head, capturing his gaze as he noticed you stirring.  
“Good morning,” he mumbled as he smirked at you. Your cheeks turned ten shades of red as you sat up straight, leaning your back against the frigid wall. You were seated on the cracked concrete floor, directly beside him.  
“It’s freezing in here,” you grumbled. You pulled the sleeves of your sweatshirt down over your hands as you shivered. Your hands fell to your lap, which was covered by a mysterious article of clothing. You recognized it at Cas’ navy blue sweatshirt. Furrowing your brow, you stared down at the garment.  
Cas noticed your confusion. “You were shivering in your sleep.”  
You struggled to hide your smile. “Oh, thanks.” You nodded at him, not moving your gaze from his. Before you could blink, Cas suddenly leaned in, pressing his lips against yours. You groaned at the contact as you leaned into him, letting your eyes flutter closed. His warmth filled you, radiating from your face, to your neck, and deep into your chest. His tongue forced its way through your lips, forcefully parting them. The sheer dominance and need behind his movements made your core ache. You wanted this. You needed this.  
Cas’ hand snaked its way to your hip and nudged you, gently guiding you up off the floor and onto his lap. You turned to face him, straddling his legs, your lips never leaving his. Then, he slowly guided you down onto his lap. A sharp gasp left your lips as you felt his half-hard erection under his zipper, pressing against your clothed sex. You slowly rolled your hips against him, coaxing a low moan from each of you.  
Thud. THUD.  
The rusty hinge on the door leading outside suddenly snapped, allowing the door to violently swing open. Your stunned gaze met Dean as he stormed through the threshold, immediately staring down at you, smirking.  
“Oh, sorry to interrupt the moment, but we thought you two might like to be rescued.” You quickly lifted from Cas’ lap and scrambled for your backpack on the floor. Great timing, Dean.  
Cas mimicked you, launching to his feet and grabbing his belongings. Both of you sported a rosy flush as you followed the group back out the door into the chilly winter night.  
You snarled in disgust as you stared down at the blood dripping from your machete. The blade sat at your feet, shedding its thick layer of blood onto the car’s passenger side floor.  
But, that wasn’t the main thing distracting your. Now that your breathing had steadied, and you and Cas were both well on your way home, your mind flashed back to the events in the storage room. The need he showed when he kissed you made your entire body tingle, and stirred up a familiar heat in your core. And his reaction to your touch made it hard to think.  
Cas now sat in the driver’s seat of the car, rounding one final corner, signaling the near end of your car ride. Not a word had been exchanged between you since your lips parted, but the glances you occasionally shot at each other said enough.  
This wasn’t the end. And you didn’t want it to be.  
Once the two of you reentered the compound, Cas pulled the car up into the garage of the main house, then exited, quickly racing for the door. You slowly mimicked him and exited the car.  
“Y/N!” You jumped as you heard Dean approach you from behind. A smile filled your lips as you greeted him. Something about him seemed different, less commanding. You didn’t know what was going on, but you didn’t mind the friendly side of the older Winchester. “Hey, I wanted to give you something.” Dean shuffled through his pack, before pulling out a new, clean pair of black and white Converse sneakers. “I found these before the hoard broke in. I thought they looked about your size. I mean, a girl still needs her shoes, right? Even in a zombie apocalypse.”  
You let out a chuckle as you gladly accepted the gift. Your lifted the tongue of one of the shoes, checking the size. They were a half size too big, but they would work just fine. “Thanks, Dean. That’s really nice of you.”  
Dean cleared his throat. “You know, Cas is a really great guy.” The comment caught you off guard. You raised your head from your gift to meet his gaze. “If you break his heart, it won’t be pretty.” Your heart sank at the threat. So much for his friendly side. Then, a cheeky smile crossed his lips. “The same goes for you too, you know. I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you. But, if he hurts you in any way, I’ll make him regret it.” Dean winked, before turning towards the door. “He’s a lucky man.”  
“Uh, thanks, Dean,” you repeated, following him into the house.  
A deep sigh left your lips as you headed up the long flight of stairs to your room. The whole day had been beyond exhausting. To be honest, you were just glad you didn’t have to spend the night in that freezing storage room.  
But, on the other hand, you were secretly mad at Dean for interrupting what you and Cas had going. The moment you reached he top of the stairs, you let out a shallow laugh, while your brain attempted to swallow everything that had transpired.  
Your mind froze as movement caught your eye. You turned to Cas’ opened doorway, finding him facing away from you, slowly lifting his shirt over his head. Your gaze fixed on the way the muscles on his lightly toned back rolled and flexed as he lifted the garment over his head. Oh, yum. The impressive bulge of his upper arms tightened as he tossed the shirt into a small basket. He then turned towards you.  
You could feel your body fill with raw need as you studied the way he moved. A shot of confidence coursed through you, coaxing you to approach his doorway.  
“Hey,” you whispered from the threshold, catching his attention. Cas smiled as he took a few steps towards you.  
He towered over you in the doorway, grinning. Then, his hand reached up and cupped your cheek. He slowly leaned in, hovering his lightly chapped lips over yours. His grin widened as he felt you stiffen under his touch.  
“So, should we pick up where we left off?”


	9. Hell on Earth Part 9

Cas lifted you into his arms, using his hands to wrap your legs around his waist. His lips smacked against yours the moment you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. And god, did he taste good.  
Cas’ hands gripped your ass as he turned towards the bed, slamming the door behind him with his foot. His clothed erection pressed against your aching sex, causing you to moan into his mouth, just before he tossed you onto the mattress.  
“Sex in a bed. That’s something I never thought I’d have again,” you chuckled as Cas sucked on the curve of your neck. You could feel his lips curl against your skin as he slipped a hand up under your shirt. His fingers smoothed over your skin as his lips moved up to realign with yours. Within seconds, his tongue was dominating your mouth, making you moan against him again as your hips rolled up against his.  
“Oh, eager, are we?” he growled with a snicker. “Well, someone’s gonna need to be patient,” he teased. “I want to savor you.” You groaned at his words as you squirmed beneath his touch.  
Cas lifted your shirt and sports bra higher, and latched his lips around one of your nipples. He sucked and nibbled lightly as he stared up at you through his dark lashes, before finally letting out a groan against your skin. The vibration created an insane burn in your core that left you craving more.  
“Cas, please, lower,” you begged as you arched your back.  
Keeping his mouth at its current post, he slid one of his hands down to your pants, making quick work of your button and zipper. He tugged your jeans as low as he could reach. Then, he tucked his fingers under your panties and trailed his middle finger over your clit.  
“Cas,” you hissed into the chilly air. But, the temperature was about to go way up. And you couldn’t wait.  
His thick finger rolled over your clit, causing your legs to tremble. Then, without warning, Cas slipped his finger down and right into your slick entrance. You bit your lower lip, muffling a scream as a second finger entered you. He scissored his fingers inside you, occasionally curling them against the thick bundle of nerves deep inside you.  
Cas slipped his fingers from your hole and lifted them up to his lips. His tongue trailed along them, lapping up your juices. “Mmm,” he groaned. “God, you taste so sweet.” Once he had licked his fingers clean, he kissed his way down your stomach to your hips, then over to your pelvic bone. You lifted your hips to help him push your pants all the way down. Then, you pulled your shirt completely off and tossed it onto the floor.  
A sharp scream left you the moment his lips wrapped around your oversensitive clit. He sucked hard, showing no mercy as he gripped your thighs. The bite from his fingernails in your flesh sent you closer to your climax.  
But you needed more.  
Almost as if Cas was reading your thoughts, Cas lowered his sinful mouth down along your folds, grazing the tip of his tongue through your juices. Then, when he reached your entrance, he dipped his tongue into you. He greedily slipped deeper and deeper inside you, making you wild.  
When his finger reunited with your clit, your orgasm hit you full force. Moans and hisses left your lips as your rode Cas’ fingers through your waves. It felt like hours before you finally started to come down, and before Cas finally removed his lips from your pussy.  
You jumped up and pressed Cas back onto the bed. He grinned down at you as he watched settle over his straining erection, still trapped under the thick fabric of his jeans. Your fingers fiddled with the buttons of his pants and yanked them over his hips, freeing his impressive manhood. Your core began to ache as you stared down at his cock, your mouth watering as you watched it twitch below you.  
Cas released a low groan the moment your lips wrapped around the tip of his cock. The taste of salty pre-cum overwhelmed your taste buds, fueling the need to take him completely into your mouth.  
But first, you were going to have a little fun.  
Your tongue swirled over his slit, earning you a sharp gasp from Cas. Then, you closed your lips completely around the head of his cock and sucked gently, teasing him.  
“God, Y/N, please,” he begged. And you knew exactly what he was begging you to do.  
You smirked around his thick cock, then slowly lowered yourself, taking him in as far as you could. Your fingers wrapped around his base, slowly pumping in rhythm with your head. You set a slow pace, dragging your swollen lips up and down his length. You knew the speed was making him crazy, and you loved every second of it.  
Your pace quickened, leaving Cas breathless and tense beneath you. He groaned your name, along with various profanities, as you felt him squirm against your grip.  
Cas shot up, knocking you off him and pinning you roughly against the mattress. He straddled you, kneeling upright as he stared down at you. For a moment, you swore you saw something other than lust behind his eyes. There was a glimmer of tenderness, a soft glow behind those dark icy blues.  
But, that glow was gone the moment he pulled you onto his lap. You hovered over him, leaning your forehead against his. You perched there for a moment, steadying your breath, before slowly lowering yourself onto Cas. His hands gripped your hips and you sank down onto him, slowly adjusting to his size. The warm burn that filled you as your walls stretched around him coaxed a moan from your lips.  
“Oh my god, Cas,” you mewled as he guided your hips. You rolled against him slowly, holding his shoulders to steady yourself as you rode him. “Oh, fuck.”  
Cas bounced up against you, meeting each thrust and pushing himself deeper into you. Cas tilted his head lightly, moving up to capture your bottom lip between his teeth. Just as yet another moan escaped you, Cas slammed upwards, fucking you faster and rougher than you could ever remember being fucked.  
Cas pushed you backwards. You landed on your back, peering up at him as he quickly situated himself over you. He reentered you roughly and maintained a steady pace. His hand reached down between you and rolled his finger around your throbbing clit.  
“Come for me, Y/N. I want to feel you come undone while I’m inside you.” You stared up at Cas as your entire body relaxed. A warm, intense heat rushed through you as your second orgasm washed over you. “That’s it,” Cas cooed as he slowly his pace a little.  
But, within seconds, his pace quickened again. The feeling of your walls swelling and contracting around him proved too much, and he spilled into you as he groaned your name.  
Cas collapsed onto the mattress beside you and sighed. His breath was still as rugged as yours as the two of you came down from your high.  
Then, suddenly, the mood in the room changed. You turned towards Cas as he sat up from the bed and threw his legs over the side of the mattress. You reached up to gently rub Cas’ shoulder, but he didn’t react, making your stomach turn.  
“Cas, are you okay?” You knew that something was wrong, judging on the quick change in his mood. Did you do something wrong?  
Did he regret what just happened?  
Cas let out a deep sigh. Then, he turned to you. “I-I don’t know.”  
You sat up on the mattress. Oh, no. None of this crap. “There is something wrong. Is it me? Was this a mistake—“  
“No. I wanted this. I’ve wanted this since I stared getting to know you. I-I felt an immediate attraction to you. I feel like we just… click. And that’s what I’m afraid of.” Cas bit his lip as his gaze met yours. “In this world, the way it is now, people die. That’s painful enough. But, when you get close to someone…” Cas closed his eyes. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get too close to someone again. And this? This is getting too close. The way I felt when I watched you nearly fall off the wall, it nearly killed me inside. At first, I just thought it was just feelings brewing inside me. But now, now I know it would literally kill me if I lost you.”  
You felt sick. He didn’t want to get close because he didn’t want to lose you? “That’s bullshit,” you thought aloud. “We lose people in this world, Cas. That’s how it was before dead people started eating the living. But we all lived on.” You reached out, taking his hand in yours. “We need to live on, Cas. We can’t let fear control us.”  
Cas nodded before turning his body back towards you. “It’s just so painful to hold onto something you know you’re going to lose.”  
“That just gives you something to fight for, doesn’t it? I think that’s more important these days.” You smiled up at Cas as he scooted closer. “I don’t know what’s going on here, the thing between us, but it should be positive. Let’s not let this whole end of the world thing ruin it.”  
Cas just smiled before he leaned in and pressed his lips against yours. “I can’t say I’m not scared, but I’m willing to give it a shot. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”  
“You keep forgetting that I lived out there by myself all this time. And, I’m still here.” He frowned down at you. “But, I promise, I’ll be careful.” That promise forced a smile to his face. There was almost a sense of relief in the air as the two of you held each other, not focusing on the ugly world just outside the steam covered window.


	10. Hell on Earth Part 10

You woke up in Cas’ room, wrapped in the large fleece blanket the two of you had fallen asleep under. The faint scent of him tickled your nose, making you smile. But, when you turned to face the side of the bed that he had been sleeping on, all you found was cold air. What the hell? Where did he go?  
You shot up and glanced around the room, spotting your scattered clothes in the process. But Cas’ clothes had been picked up. “Shit,” you muttered as you threw the blanket off of your body. Something what wrong, you could feel it.  
As you quickly dressed, you listened to the sound of chattering coming from downstairs. You could clearly hear Dean and Cas. A moment later, you heard Sam’s voice chime in. They all sounded serious, keeping their voices low. When you were dressed, you made your way to the top of the stairs and headed towards the conversation.  
“He’s dead, Dean. How the hell can someone put a ransom on someone who’s dead?” You heard Cas mutter. His voice was gruff, almost a growl as he whispered to the brothers. “I’m sure this is a joke.”  
“I want to know how they know who you are and how they know that you’re here. What would they want with you if he isn’t alive? It doesn’t make sense.” Dean grumbled as you reached the bottom of the stairs. You stood in the doorway, unnoticed by the three men as you listened.  
“But why would this come up now? It’s been, what, six months since he went missing? Why would it take so long for them to reach out?” Sam asked.  
“They may have just found him. He’s a smart guy. Maybe he survived on his own until now,” Dean added. What the hell? Missing person? Ransom? Something really was wrong.  
“Then why didn’t he just come back?” Cas asked the brothers. That’s it, you’d had enough of with secrets. You needed to know what was going on, and who was dead or not.  
You entered the room abruptly, standing a few feet behind Cas. “Why didn’t who come back?” Cas quickly turned around to face you, his eyes reddened. He had been crying. Whatever was going on had really shaken him up.  
Cas pursed his lips together as he approached you. “It’s a long story, Y/N. We’re still trying to figure it out.”  
You nodded. You couldn’t help but feel angry at the fact that he had been hiding something from you. “I want to know what’s going on, Cas. I’ve got nothing but time.” You shifted your weight as you crossed your arms over your chest. “I live here like the rest of you now. And, if this thing between us is going to work, you’re going to have to be honest.” Your last sentence gained you an amused stare from Dean. But, this wasn’t the time for laying low about the undefined relationship between you and Cas.  
Cas let out a deep sigh. “We found a letter attached to the front gate early this morning. I think it was left there during a shift change. It was a threatening note… aimed at me.”  
You froze. Nothing about that sounded good. “What did it say?”  
Cas handed you the note and let out a deep sigh. You took the less than perfect scrap of paper and unfolded it.  
Castiel,  
We see you have more than you need. We are in need. We have your brother. Open up.  
“Brother?” you whispered as you peered back up at him. “You have a brother?”  
Cas’ lip trembled as he turned from you. “Yeah, Gabriel. He went missing on a supply run about six months back. We were outnumbered and he got separated. We looked for him. Hell, I went back almost every day for weeks before we came across his jacket, torn and covered in blood. I thought he was dead, maybe even turned. And now, this shows up.”  
“I still think it’s a scam from a bunch of crazies,” Sam mumbled from his spot, perched on the kitchen counter.  
“Then how the hell do they know my name, Sam? How do they know I have a brother? It’s gotta be him. It’s gotta be Gabriel.” The sheer look of pain on Castiel’s face made your stomach turn. You had no idea he was going through this, that he had lost his brother. So, of course you didn’t blame him for not sharing.  
“So, what do we do?” you asked the group. Sure, you barely know Cas, but you knew that your feelings towards him were strong. That alone fueled you to help him in any way you could.  
Cas furrowed his brow at you, surprised by your reaction. “We?”  
You huffed a laugh. “You don’t think I’m sitting out on this one, do you?” Your eyes flicked to Sam and Dean, then back to Cas. “If someone is holding your brother hostage, and they are threatening you, that’s an all hands on deck situation.”  
Cas just smiled and nodded. Then, he wrapped his arms around you and placed a sweet kiss on your forehead. “Thank you, Y/N. Thank you.”  
When you pulled away, you turned to Dean. “So, what’s the plan?”  
You peered through the scope of your rifle as you laid prone at the top of the wall. Your aim was toward the front gates, tens of yards away from you, where Cas’ reply note was taped. Now, you were playing the waiting game.  
Much to Cas and Dean’s disliking, you insisted on being in this position. You had been hunting with your father when you were younger, and you were a hell of a shot. No one could say otherwise.  
So, there you were, on top of the wall, waiting for someone to take a bite. Cas was on the other side of the gate, within sight. Dean stood just below you, armed and ready to charge. Sam was on the other side of the wall, mimicking your pose. The rest of the crew was spread out, waiting for a signal to strike or retreat.  
You rolled our neck and let out a deep sigh. Damn, you wished you had brought a pillow or something. After at least an hour of holding your position, your elbows were beginning to bruise. But, you weren’t ready to quit. Not when it came to Cas.  
A light gasp left you as you watched a small, straggly man shuffle from behind a house across the street. The man walked to steadily to be a zombie, which meant he was a living, breathing human.  
And possibly the same human who threatened Cas. Maybe even the same human who took Cas’ brother. And those facts alone made you want to pull the trigger and take him out, but that would only cause more problems. The last thing you needed was a post-apocalyptic war on your hands.  
You shifted your weight again, keeping your eyes peeled on the man. You threw a signal down to Dean, who gently tapped the wall in response, before heading towards Cas. Everything was going according to plan.  
“Hello, lovely,” you heard someone whisper from behind you. You turned to meet a man, dressed in a dark hoodie and dark pants. How the hell did he make it up the wall without being heard?  
“Shit,” you murmured. You turned around to aim the gun at him. But, the man grasped the barrel and pushed it backwards, causing the butt of the gun to make hard contact with your forehead.  
And, within an instant, everything went back.


	11. Hell on Earth Part 11

Your eyes slowly fluttered open. Blinking hard, you cleared your vision and stared around the small room. You were on a thin, torn sleeping bag in what appeared to be a shipping container. The cold, metal walls were wracked with half-dollar sized holes, either serving as windows or just wear and tear from the world around it. Either way, it felt like a prison.  
You jumped as the door opened, revealing a scruffy man with a small bowl in one hand. He was short, but handsome. And, the poor thing looked like he had seen better days.  
But, that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous.  
“Who the hell are you?” You asked, sitting up a little too quickly. The room buzzed around you as your head throbbed, but you ignored it. The man chuckled a little as he approached you, then knelt down by your side.  
“Not someone you need to worry about.” He handed you the bowl of what looked like oatmeal. You just stared down at it, arms crossed defensively across your chest. “Take it. I have no reason to poison you.” His smile was almost contagious, sweet and light. “I’m in here for the same reason you are, as a bargaining chip.”  
Your eyes widened. “You’re Gabriel?” The man nodded. Your entire body relaxed as you reached for the bowl.  
“My brother has always had good taste in women.” Gabriel muttered as he winked. “They know what you mean to him, but not who you are. You can use that to your advantage.”  
“And how do you know who I am?”  
He smiled as he shifted his weight, sitting back on his heels. “I hear them talking a lot. I don’t even think they know I can hear them.” Gabriel peered around the room. “They have this place guarded every minute of the day. They’re resilient, I’ll give them that. But, I can tell already, you’re tough. You’re smart. You can get out of here.”  
You placed the spoon down for a moment, appreciating the feeling of food in your stomach after being out for who knew how long. “I’ll get out of here? What about you?”  
Gabriel nodded. “I’ll come with you. I know this place. It’s bigger than what you all have, but it’s not nearly as well maintained. The dead get in much easier.” Gabriel huffed a laugh. “The fuckers can’t even keep candles lit at night without attracting the dead.”  
“Where are they now?” you asked, quickly finishing off the small bowl and placing it onto your lap.  
“There are nine of them now. There were more. They are in a small building across from this thing. The building is crap, but they are heavily armed.” His eyes met yours. “We can’t wait for Cas and his buddies to find us. We have to leave tonight.”  
You just stared up into Gabriel’s darkened honey eyes. There was just enough light to see his golden-brown hair latched to his sweat and dirt ridden face. “These people, why are they so dangerous?”  
Gabriel let out a deep sigh. “Because they’re takers. They take what other people have and kill everyone in their way.”  
“Then, why haven’t they killed us?”  
“Because they’re smart. They’re using us to get to Castiel, to Dean and the group. I’ve been trying to keep them away from the camp for so long. But now, they have more leverage. They’ve taken everything Castiel cares about and are going to use it against him.”  
“Then, why don’t we let them?” You narrowed your gaze. “Lead them as far as we can, right into Cas and Dean’s lap. Then, we can take them out.”  
Gabriel shook his head. “Like I said, they are smart. They don’t plan on keeping us alive for much longer. We are just more mouths to feed, and they are dangerously low on supplies. That’s why they want our compound. And, as long as Castiel doesn’t know we’re dead, these people can still use us as bait.”  
You furrowed your brow, taking everything in. “Shit.”  
Gabriel just nodded, taking the bowl from your lap and lifting himself to his feet. “I’ll be back just after sundown. That’s when they turn in. I know where they sit watch, and I’ll make sure they can’t leave.”  
“Gabriel, why didn’t you try this before?”  
Gabe bit his lower lip. “Because, like I said, I was trying to keep them away from the group. But now that you’re here, I can’t have Cas lose both of us.” You tilted your head at his words, but he ignored you. “Just be ready by sundown.” You nodded as watched as he exited the container, then locked the door behind him.  
Cas slammed his hands onto the cold, hard granite counter top. “Fuck!” he shrieked for the fifteenth him.  
“Cas, we’ll get them back—”  
“They have both of them, Sam.” Cas closed his eyes, trying his hardest to keep from breaking every object in the small kitchen. “Until a few days ago, I thought my brother was dead. I came to terms with that fact. But now, he’s alive, and being held hostage by a pack of lunatics.” He grit his teeth as he opened his eyes again, locking them with Dean’s gaze. “The same lunatics who took Y/N.”  
Sam nodded. “We will get them back, Cas. We just have to stay calm and make a plan.”  
“We don’t even know where these people are right now. They could be anywhere. They want our homes, our food, our artillery.” Cas bit his lip. “I just hope they aren’t torturing them.”  
“Don’t.” Dean launched himself from his chair. “Don’t think like that. They are where they are, and we are going to get them back. Both of them.” Dean squeezed Cas’ shoulder. “And we’re going to take these assholes down along the way. No one threatens family.”  
“No one threatens family,” Sam repeated. “Gabe and Y/N are both family, Cas. The have both put themselves in danger for us, which is more than we could have ever asked of them.”  
“Sam’s right,” Dean interjected. Yes, he was. You were one of them from the moment they had picked you up at the Target. You had just stared helping Ellen and Jo with the gardening and food, and cleaned guns with Dean and Sam when they asked. You were one of them, and that made you worth fighting for.  
And to Cas, you meant so much more.  
“We can’t wait for another ambush. Y/N was on out wall when she was attacked and taken. That means they can get in here.” Dean paused. “So, why the hell didn’t they just break in a take everything?” Dean asked, keeping his eyes fixed on his water bottle. He nervously swirled the last bit of water at the bottom on the bottle and sighed.  
“Because they are outnumbered, or insane,” Bobby growled as he stared down at a regional map. “But, if we’re going to get Gabriel and Miss Y/N back, we need to figure out where these people are.” He tapped the map in front of him. “They are close enough to walk here, but far enough not to be found. They must be held up in a building that is still standing, which narrows things down a bit.”  
The group gathered around the map, scanning over every detail of the mountain towns surrounding them. “There,” Sam pointed down at a small blank spot on the map. “It’s a shipping and transferring yard. It’s not far, but it makes sense. The rest of the housing developments have been looted or burned, and anywhere in town isn’t safe.”  
Dean peered up Cas. “It’s a long shot, but they could be there. Sam’s right. There aren’t too many places that are still standing.”  
“Then, that’s where we’re going.” Bobby slammed his palm against the counter, before peering up at Cas. Cas nodded, allowing a small smile to spread across his lips.  
Dean gripped Cas’ shoulder. “Let’s go get your brother, and your girl.”


	12. Hell on Earth Part 12

A chill ran through your bones as you shivered under your sleeping bag. It was snowing heavily outside. You could see the reasonably sized flurries fall through one of the bullet holes right beside your head. The relentless wind whistled through the small openings throughout the shipping container, making it nearly impossible to sleep.  
Not that you had any time to sleep. Gabriel would be back any minute. You had been staring at the container door for what felt like hours, waiting for your accomplice to free you from your uninsulated prison cell.  
You raised your head up as you heard the groans of several zombies. They sounded close, maybe three or four of them. You begged that Gabriel saw them before they saw him. And, since you were weaponless, you were going to be no help to him if they managed to sneak up on you.  
But, none of that mattered if he didn’t even bother to show. From what you gathered from your brief interaction with him, he didn’t seem like the type to forget you. He could have left whenever he wanted. The fact that he stayed to protect the rest of the group earned him quite a bit of trust at the point.  
Your body jerked at the sound of the lock on the door clicking. “Gabriel?” you whispered as you shimmied out from your sleeping bag. You grabbed the few belongings your captors had failed to find, and slowly tip-toed towards the door. “Gabriel?” you repeated.  
The door slowly creaked opened a few inches, fighting the resistance of the wind. You cautiously pressed the palm of your hand onto the frigid metal and pushed the large door open just enough to free you from your cell.  
The growls and snarled from the zombies echoed around you, but it was nearly impossible to see through the now swirling blizzard. All you could tell is that they were close.  
You gasped as a hand landed on your shoulder and pulled you backwards with a force that was far from friendly. You turned to see a zombie snapping its rotted teeth towards your face. There was a clear hole in the side of his left cheek, and his eyes were a bone-chilling icy blue. He snarled and clanked his teeth as he snapped at you, pushing you backwards. Your mind raced as your arms flailed to your sides, searching for anything to fight him off with. Within moments, the back of your hand hit something hard and narrow. A two-foot-long plank of wood stuck out from a pile of scraps to your right. Bingo.  
You grabbed the wood and swung it forward, smacking your attacker in the side of the head, rendering him completely lifeless.  
Before you could catch your breath, two more flesh-eating creatures came barreling towards you with just as much gusto as their partner. You made quick work of one of them, the smaller one, knocking him down with one blow. The second one was more of a fighter than the other two. This one was quick. You swung your weapon, clocking him in the neck, without breaking his stride. You swung again, missing him completely and knocking yourself backwards onto the frozen ground.  
“Shit!” you snarled as you quickly gathered yourself. With one more strike, the monster was on the ground, finally joining his buddies in the afterlife. “Holy shit,” you muttered as you raised yourself to your feet. You glanced around at your partially whited-out surroundings and sighed. Where the hell was Gabriel?  
You spun on your heels to the sound of footsteps behind you. Your eyes met the gaze of a man you didn’t recognize. He was tall, dressed in all black. And something about his screamed power.  
“Very impressive, young lady,” he purred under his knee length, hooded cloak. He almost looked like a reject from Assassins Creed, but far less badass.  
“Thanks?” you snarled sarcastically. This yahoo must be the man who ordered your kidnapping, the man in charge. Great.  
“I just have one question for you, gorgeous. Where the hell do you think your going?” You furrowed your brow at the man, just before a sharp pain erupted over the back of your head. Your vision blurred for a moment, before you fell to the ground. Your brain fought for consciousness, but lost, allowing your eyes to flutter closed.  
Gabriel hovered behind a large pile of scrap metal, gritting his teeth as he watched you collapse to the ground. Fuck. He was too late. Henderson and the group had noticed that he was missing, and must have tricked you out of the storage container. He knew they were going to take you into the main building and question you, maybe even torture you.  
He needed to get to Castiel. At this point, he knew that he was no match for the group alone, even with their numbers dwindling. He needed backup. And there was no better back up than the Winchester brothers, and his own little brother.  
Gabriel watched as two of Henderson’s henchmen dragged you into the quickly degrading building, and out of sight. He let out a deep breath, hoping that you were really as strong as you appeared. Then, he turned towards the fence, heading towards Castiel and the rest of the group.  
Castiel stared out his second story bedroom window, watching the snow rush past the lightly frosted glass. He had been beating himself up about your disappearance. He should have had you stay inside the house and away from the wall. But, you were stubborn, and he knew that none of that would blow over with you.  
But, none of it mattered now. What mattered was getting you back to the house, back in his arms.  
Castiel never knew that he could grow so attached to someone so quickly, but you were different. You were feisty and independent, but your soul radiated a light that made his entire body react. You were special. And, when he got you back into his arms, he was going to make sure you knew that.  
But now, all he could do was stand there and stare out the window. Dean had postponed the rescue mission, claiming that it wasn’t worth it to trek through the storm and risk losing lives in the added obstacle.  
Cas hated the idea so much, but he agreed. He just wanted the damn weather to ease up just enough for Dean to give the okay. He knew that every second that passed lessened your chances of survival with those maniacs.  
A commotion stirred outside, catching Castiel’s attention. Cas watched as Dean and Sam rushed towards the gates, quickly followed by Bobby and Jo. Cas took no time to turn for the door and race for the stairs.  
Once he was outside, he saw that the gates were opened, and most of the group was gathered around the opening. There was someone else there, he could tell by how everyone was standing. They were defensive, but not offensive.  
Was it Y/N?  
His thoughts raced almost as quickly as his feet as he hurried towards the others. His shoes were quickly soaking into the slushy snow mixture that covered the ground. But, he didn’t care. He just needed to find out what was going on.  
He halted as he met up with the others, his eyes quickly spotting the new addition to the group. His jaw shook as he studied the person he never thought he’d see again.  
“Gabriel?” Cas’ voice shook as he spoke his brother’s name. “Oh my god.”  
“Hey, bro.” Gabriel huffed. His breath rushed out of him as he shivered. “I’d hug you, but there’s no time for a fluffy reunion.” Gabriel’s amber eyes met Cas’. “Y/N is in trouble.”  
Cas’ entire body flooded with rage. “You know where she is?” he breathed.  
Gabriel approached him. “She’s at a shipping yard not too far from here. It’s where I’ve been. I’ll explain later.” Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment. “I met her. Damn, is she a firecracker.” Gabriel huffed a laugh. “We agreed to break out of there together, since there was no use for me to stay there any longer. But, someone noticed I was gone before I could get to her. They have her now.” Gabe gripped his brother’s arm. “These people, they’re murderers. It’s that simple. She may not have long.”  
Cas just stood there, frozen. Murderers had you. All he wanted to do was run, and not stop until he found you. But, they needed a better plan.  
Dean took a step forward. “How long does she have?” His words sent an icy chill through Cas’ veins.  
“Maybe the night. She’s a fighter, I can tell. But that isn’t going to help her if these assholes have the upper hand. If anything, her attitude may get her killed. Henderson doesn’t take to sass very well.”  
Dean nodded. “Alright.” He turned towards the group. “Sam, Cas, Bobby, Garth, and Jo. Go get loaded up. We’re leaving as soon as everyone is ready.”  
Cas turned to Dean, but didn’t say a word. He nodded his head as a silent thank you. The snow hadn’t let up at all, but they’d just have to trek a little harder.  
Dean turned back to Gabriel. “Can you show us back? You know that place better than we do. And you know them.”  
Gabriel nodded at Dean and his brother. “I’m just going to let you know now, they aren’t the forgiving type. They aren’t going to stop to ask questions. They are going to aim for your head and shoot.”  
Dean nudged Cas as he chuckled. “Good. You know we always love a challenge.”


	13. Hell on Earth Part 13

You sucked in a deep breath as your eyes shot open. A deep throbbing pain radiated down the back of your head to your shoulders. Fuck, you were tired of getting hit in the head. Did these fuckers really not have another creative way to handle their captives?  
Or were they afraid of taking any chances? Well, they should be scared. You were ready to give them hell.  
You peered around the room, taking in the significant warmth compared to your former prison. There was a small fire burning in a crumbling makeshift fireplace. The room was slightly hazy with smoke, but not enough to be irritating. The rest of the room was reasonably empty, except for a few chairs with battered ropes tied haphazardly on their armrests.  
You pulled at your ties, hoping these fuckers didn’t know how to tie a decent knot. But, you were wrong. They had your arms tied tightly behind you and your ankles bound to the legs of the chair.  
The door on the other side of the room busted open, revealing the cloaked man from before. His deep brown hair wisped in front of his face, nearly covering his darkened eyes. He grinned, revealing a row of not-so-pearly teeth.  
“Hello, lovely,” the man cooed with a hint of a southern drawl. “I hope you’re enjoying your stay with us.”  
You narrowed your gaze. “You’re fucking kidding me.” You pulled at your binds again. “What the hell do you want from me?”  
The man approached you, twirling the knife he held in his hand. He leaned over you, his eyes piercing through you. “What do I want from you? I want your houses, and your clothes. I want your gardens and your cars. I want everything.”  
You snarled your lip. “Then why don’t you just kill me and take it all? What use am I to you alive?”  
The man chuckled. “Because, if I have you, your friends will come looking for you. Castiel, Dean, Sam. If I keep you here, they will come for you. Then, my men can take over your compound in their absence. And you can watch your friends, and your boyfriend, die before your eyes.”  
Your skin prickled as you listened to the lunatic. “What makes you think Castiel is my boyfriend? I barely know these people. Why would they give a shit about me?”  
“You don’t fog up a window like that by just talking about the weather.” Mother. Fucking. Creeper. He was stalking you? Great.  
“And what about them? How are you going to keep them from fighting back? Because they will. They’re a fucking force to be reckoned with.”  
The man rolled his eyes. “For someone so sassy, you aren’t very bright.” He leaned back a little, standing straight up again. “I’m just going to have to kill them before they find me. Then, I’ll take everything y’all have.” He eyed you like a lion eyeing their next kill.  
You grit your teeth together, causing your jaw to ache. “And what makes you think you have the right to take our shit?”  
He licked his lips as he eyed you. “Because I’m Brent Henderson, and I never take no for an answer.”  
Cas clenched his pistol at his side as he adjusted this rifle on his shoulder. Sure, both guns and three knives may have seemed like overkill, but not to him. He wanted every ounce of firepower to take down the man who held you hostage. The fucker was going down one way or another, no questions asked.  
Cas stuck closely behind his brother as he sorted through the waves of emotions. Sure, there was happiness somewhere in his heart. His older brother was alive, and knew how to get back to you. That alone was almost enough for him to smile. But, the mere thought of you being held hostage, not knowing if you were alive or dead, was killing him more than anything he had felt in a very long time.  
Dean hissed behind him as his boot slipped into a puddle of melted snow. “Shit,” Dean growled, pausing for a moment to shake out his boot.  
“Shh!” Gabriel hissed. “The yard is just through those trees.” Gabe turned to the rest of the group. “They don’t always have guards, and they don’t have regular shifts. So, be prepared for anything. These fuckers aren’t as stupid as they seem. They are fucking barbaric.”  
Cas nodded. “Then, we split up.” His eyes were dark as he turned back to the unofficial team leader. Dean simply nodded, giving Cas the reins this time. “I’ll go with Gabriel around the back. There must be another entrance onto the yard, right?” Gabe nodded. “Maybe we can get into the building that way. Either way, I’ll have a guide.”  
Dean reached up and pressed his hand against Cas’ shoulder. “We’ll cover you. Just get in and get out as fast as you can.” Cas nodded, then turned to his brother.  
“Let’s go,” Cas commanded to his brother. Gabriel slowly turned towards the line of trees, the only barrier between them and the maniacs holding you hostage.  
Gabriel fiddled with the lock on the fence, hoping none of the idiots inside heard the jingling. Cas stood behind him, shifting his weight frequently. Of course, Cas was nervous; they were all nervous. But, nerves were something that Cas had no time to think about. He needed to keep his head clear so he could find you, and get the hell out of there.  
Cas lifted his gaze, spotting Dean and Jo behind a tower of wooden crates. They peered over the crates every few seconds or so, checking on Bobby and Sam, who were both out of Cas’ sight. Garth, the sneaky fucker, was up a tree with a sniper rifle. For an unplanned ambush, the whole thing seemed pretty well thought out.  
Cas’ attention snapped to Gabriel as the lock on the gate finally broke. Dean watched as the brothers headed into the main yard, quickly sneaking his way along the same path. Jo remained in her spot, still within eyeshot of Garth.  
The building before them looked like it was on its last legs. Sure, the whole apocalypse crap hadn’t started all that long ago, which led Cas to believe that the grounds were abandoned long before. The fact that the building was in poor condition would either work in their favor, or against them.  
But, Cas didn’t care. No matter what happened, he was going to get you out of there alive. That was the only goal in his mind.  
When Cas and Gabriel entered the building, they were greeted by a long flight of stairs. It was an odd set up for an industrial building. It felt more like an apartment building than anything, with a large hallways leading from either side of the door. The wooden stairs were mostly intact, but Cas had a feeling that they would creak like a motherfucker then they started their incline.  
“Step on the side, along the wall. It’s stronger there than in the middle,” Gabe commanded in a whisper, almost reading his brother’s mind. Cas nodded, then started his way up the stairway.  
Once the duo made their way up the stairs, they were met by a long, dark hallway. A few small candles littered the sides of the hall floor, hinting that someone had been there recently.  
“If they took her in for questioning, and if she’s still alive, she should be through the third door on the right,” Gabriel whispered. Cas closed his eyes for a moment, trying his best to swallow his brother’s words. Still alive. You needed to be alive. He didn’t know what he would do if you weren’t.  
Cas’ eyes shot back opened. He took a forceful step forward, and headed for the room, Gabriel right on his heels. Cas slipped his pistol from its holster and held it at the ready. If anyone else was in there, they were going down.  
Castiel turned to his brother, who nodded. Then, he turned the doorknob slowly and pushed the door inward, exposing the mainly empty room. The smell of smoke and blood filled his senses as he squinted around the room. A small fireplace was lit along the far wall, the obvious culprit behind the haze in the room. There was also a table with knives and other instruments littering its worn surface.  
A gasp left Cas’ lungs when his eyes locked on the wooden chair you were sitting in. You were slumped over with seemingly fresh blood trailing down from a gash on the lower part of your neck. There was a lot of blood, enough for there to be a small puddle on the ground.  
Without thinking, Cas barged into the room, yielding both his pistol and a knife, from his pocket. He grit his teeth as his eyes locked on a tall, thin man dressed in all black who stood just feet from you.  
“I’m here, you motherfucker. Let her go. You have who you want now,” Cas taunted the man.  
The man simply grinned as he lifted his hood off his head and turned towards Cas. “Oh, Castiel. So nice of you to stop by. I was just finishing up with this lovely lady, then I’ll get to you. So, if you would be so kind as to—”  
“Shut the fuck up and let her go.” Cas narrowed his gaze at the man.  
“Watch your language under my roof.”  
Gabriel stepped out from behind his brother. “Let her go, Brent. You don’t want to do this.”  
Brent raised an eyebrow. “Oh, Gabriel. There you are.” The man flashed his rotting smile at Gabe. “Even if I were to let her go, she’s not going anywhere soon. She’s out cold.” Brent reached down and ran the back of his index finger along your cheek. “She’s a fighter though. Lasted longer than I thought she would.”  
Cas raised his pistol and aimed it at Brent’s chest. “One more chance. Let her go.”  
“No,” Brent teased.  
Bang!  
Cas’ gun went off, a bullet hitting Brent right in the middle of his chest. Within a second, the man collapsed on the floor, limp just beside your chair. Cas’ eyes immediately switched to you as he raced to your side.  
“Y/N?” he breathed as he rested his palms on your chilled cheeks. “Y/N, please wake up.” He rested his forehead against yours. “Please wake up.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14. 
> 
> Warnings: So much angst.

Castiel raced through the now fiercely falling snow. He didn’t care how badly his shoulders ached, or how horribly his lungs burned with each breath. He just needed to get you back to the houses, where you would be safe.  
Blood soaked the back of his shirt, all coming from the gash at the base of your neck. It was still actively bleeding, and it looked bad. But, you were breathing, and Castiel was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way.  
The snarls of zombies through the trees didn’t distract Cas from his path. Garth and Gabriel were right behind him, watching his six as Cas practically galloped through the dense woods. Dean, Jo, and the others were back at the shipping yard, surely making quick work of Brent’s men.  
A scream from behind him caused him to slow, turning back. It sounded like Gabriel, but he really couldn’t be sure. “Gabe?” Cas screamed into the blizzard-ridden darkness. “Gabe!”  
“Keep going!” Cas heard Gabriel shout from several yards behind him. He didn’t need to be told twice. He quickly spun around and headed back towards the houses.  
**  
You groaned as you felt a mild burning in your left arm. Your eyes fluttered open to see an IV catheter in your arm, pumping you full of IV fluids. What the hell? As you peered around the room, you realized you were back at the compound.  
“Cas?” you gasped through your chapped lips. A shuffle at your side startled you. But, you quickly ease as familiar blue eyes captured your gaze.  
“Hey, welcome back.” Cas reached down and took your hand in his. The bandage on your neck tightened against your skin as you turned your head towards your savior.  
“How long was I out?”  
Cas pursed his lips. “We got back about an hour ago. The others are still on their way back. But, they’ll get here soon.” He nodded slightly. “We just needed to get you back first and stop that bleeding.”  
The wound on your neck burned as you nodded. “Who’s the medical guru in all of this?” Just as the words left your lips, Ellen rounded the corner.  
“I’ve learned a thing or two.” She stopped at the end of your bed. “I’m glad you two are back safely.” She lowered her head. “I just hope the others get back soon.”  
You nodded, squeezing Cas’ hand. “Yeah. They will. They’re tough.”  
The door of the small house busted open, revealing Gabriel, who was sandwiched between Dean and Garth. There was blood all over his jacket, which looked like it had been through a blender.  
Cas launched to his feet. “What the hell happened?” His eyes landed on his brother. “Was he shot?”  
“No.” Dean growled as he lowered Gabriel onto the second twin bed in the room. “He’s been bitten.”  
You watched as Cas’ face turned white. His jaw dropped, but no words came out. He just stared as Ellen raced over to Gabe, and studied the bloodied fabric on the back of his right shoulder.  
“Lay him on the bed. How long ago was he bitten?” Ellen’s gaze was dark as she barked at Garth. Cas watched as Dean and Ellen stripped Gabriel of his jacket and shirt. The obvious teeth marks on his shoulder were still bleeding, still fresh.  
“Is there something we can do? There must be something we can do!” Cas screamed as he stareed down at the scene. His face was flushed with what you could only assume was frustration and fear.  
Dean shook his head, rushing around the bed to Cas. “You know that there’s nothing we can do, Cas. C’mon.” Dean tried to lead Cas away from the situation, and into the hall.  
“No!” Cas smacked Dean’s hand away and stared at him, clenching his fists at his sides. “What the fuck happened, Dean? How did this happen? We’ve been so careful.” You had never heard Cas’ voice like this. It was almost like he was possessed by something evil. His tone had gone down at least another octave from his normally low voice.  
“Cas,” you muttered in an attempt to support him.  
“How did this happen, Dean?” He practically snarled his words. Cas clenched his teeth as he stared at Dean, the man he had trusted with his own life.  
Dean took a deep breath. “I didn’t see. Garth was with him. But, from what he could gather, it was the sound of the gunfire that lured them to us. There was a huge cluster of them when we entered the forest.”  
Gunfire? You didn’t remember hearing any gunfire.  
Cas closed his eyes. “Are you telling me that I got by brother killed?”  
“You aren’t the only on who fired a gun, Cas. I know I did too. Several times.” Dean took a step forward. “There is no way we could have prevented this. We couldn’t have seen it coming.” Dean reached up and placed a hand on Cas’ shoulder. “I’m sorry, Cas. I really am.”  
Cas didn’t say anything. He simply turned away, back to his brother, who winced as he laid back on the bed. His arm was wrapped with gauze to control the bleeding. You watched Cas’ eyes as he studied his brother, who he thought was dead until mere hours ago. Now, he was going to lose him all over again.  
**  
Your eyes fluttered open, staring up at the same beige ceiling you had seen when you drifted off about an hour before. Since you had gotten back to the compound, you had been drifting in and out of consciousness, probably due to the loss of blood. Not that it really helped to sleep. You felt so much worse each time you woke up, like you had been hit by a fucking bullet train.  
You slowly turned your head to your left, peering over at Gabriel. It was just the two of you in the room.  
“How are you feeling?” Gabriel asked as he noticed you staring. You nodded, then sighed.  
“Tired, but otherwise okay.” You wanted to ask how he was doing, but you really didn’t want to seem insensitive.  
“It hurts, but I’m still here for now.” It was like he read your mind. “I’m just pissed that I didn’t get to know you better.” Gabriel smiled, but you would see the pain in his face. Small droplets of sweat beaded on his forehead and cheeks. It wasn’t hot in the room at all. No, it was the virus.  
“I’m not that interesting.” You chuckled with him, trying to ignore the pain in your neck.  
“I beg to differ. I haven’t known you for long, but I can tell that you are one hell of a lady. My brother is lucky to have you in his life.” Gabriel smiled sweetly at you. “If he ever gives you hell, I’ll haunt his ass so hard.” The two of you laughed as Cas and Ellen entered the room. You smiled up at Cas, but he turned away quickly, and headed towards his brother.  
“How are you feeling?” he asked. Cas sat on the edge of Gabriel’s bed, his back towards you.  
“Oh, I’m livin’ the dream. Just talking to this lovely lady you’ve found yourself.” Cas turned towards you for a second, then back to his brother. Gabe rolled his eyes. “Whatever is going on in the tiny brain of yours, knock it the fuck off. Yes, I’m going to die. We all know that. How about you listen to my last request? Huh?” Cas nodded, but Gabriel didn’t seem to be paying much attention to his brother. “Love this amazing woman with all of your heart, and never let her go. If she survived Brent, she’s a fucking badass.” You grinned as he continued. “I see the way you look at her. I saw the way you reacted when you saw her in that chair. You fucking love her, dude. And she’s dumb enough to love your ass too. Just look at her right now.”  
You blushed when Cas peered over at you. Hell, it was true. You loved Cas. You barely knew him, but he made you feel strong. And, you never wanted to lose that.  
“Do you?” Cas asked suddenly. Hope glistened in his deep blue, grief-stricken eyes.  
“Do you?” you mimicked. The two of you just stared at each other for a moment, before Gabe rolled his eyes and huffed.  
“Yes, you both do. Now, go love each other. Put some fucking positivity in the disgusting, sick world.” Gabriel winced and pressed his hand into his shoulder. Ellen rushed to his side, pressing an ice pack to his wound.  
Cas lifted from the bed and stared at you. He slowly made his way to your bed as Ellen tended to Gabriel. Your eyes were locked on his as you struggled to read his expression. When he perched himself on the edge of your bed, neither of you said anything for a moment.  
“Do you love me?” you blurted out. You didn’t mean for those words to leave your lips again. But, now that they did, you simply needed to wait for the truth.  
Cas’ lips curled as he took your hand. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” Then, he leaned in, and pressed his lips against yours.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 15
> 
> More angst :)

Castiel stood beside you as the two of you fixed your gaze on the rectangular hole in the ground. It was about eight feet long, four feet wide, and six feet deep. It was the right size, and it took less than an hour for the two of you to dig.  
Tossing your shovel to the side, you turned to him and sighed. “I’m surprised that we haven’t filled this yet.” You knew your words sounded insensitive, but it was true. Gabriel was still in the armory house, laying in the same bed he was the night Cas saved you from Brent. “This is day three, and he’s still fightin’.”  
Cas nodded. “He’s always been the stronger one. Older, stronger, smarter.” Cas closed his eyes for a moment, before tossing his shovel into the hole. “But this is one thing I don’t think he can outdo. I think his body is fighting hard, but it will lose. No one wins that fight.”  
He was right. No one wins when they are bitten. They get sick, then sicker, then they crave the flesh of the living. That’s how it has always worked, every single time.  
And that’s how it was going to work with Gabriel.  
Cas just sighed, before turning back towards the house. For the last two days, he had almost constantly been by Gabriel’s side. After he admitted that he loved you, he hadn’t said much to you at all. When you were able to leave the makeshift medical room, you came back to check on them every once in a while, to bring Cas a meal or deliver a message. But, he didn’t say much in return.  
And it was killing you.  
How the hell can you say you love someone, but never talk to them? It was all a load of horseshit to you. You weren’t mad at Cas spending time with his dying brother. The opposite, actually. You were glad that Cas was so close to Gabriel, and mad that Gabriel had gotten hurt. But, Cas could have at least talked to you about what he was feeling, or at least acknowledge you.  
But, no. That never happened.  
It wasn’t just Cas, either. The entire group seemed to avoid you whenever they could. Dean simply nodded as he passed you, and Sam avoided you altogether. Even Chuck scurried away when he saw you. It was like no one wanted you there, like they blamed you for everything that happened that night, and what happened to Gabriel. So, you developed a plan. You were leaving.  
“The fuckers probably won’t know I’m gone,” you muttered to yourself as you watched Cas slowly make his way to the main house. “And probably won’t care.”  
**  
Cas’ eyes shot open as the first rays of sun peered through his window. It was colder than usual. He rolled over to take a glimpse at the world outside. Snow. It was snowing again. Not to heavy, but a steady flurry that would build quickly on the ground. He wondered if you were watching it too.  
Cas stretched and pivoted out of bed, then headed for the door. He wanted to see if you were awake yet. It was unlikely. You weren’t typically up before him.  
His hand gripped around your doorknob and slowly turned it. The faint scent of Ellen’s homemade lavender soap and what must have been your deodorant filled his senses. He peered around the room, slowly taking a step in. Each drawer in your small dresser was opened, and empty. The fleece blanket on your bed, and your pillow, were also gone. Your shoes, your bag, everything you owned, gone.  
“Shit,” Cas muttered as he stared at the window, opened almost all the way, with your knotted sheets trailed down into the snowy outside air. “Shit.” You were gone. “Dean!” Cas screamed as he turned back out into the hall. “Dean! Sam!” Cas huffed as he peered down the hall with a tiny glimmer of hope. But, it was empty. “Guys, she’s gone!”  
Dean’s door whooshed open, revealing the stunned leader, clad in only his fleece pajama pants. “What the fuck is going on, Cas? Why are you screaming?” Just as Dean entered the hall, Sam came racing up the stairs, wide-eyed.  
“What the hell?” Sam growled, just as confused as his brother.  
Cas snapped his gaze back to Dean. “She’s gone. Y/N’s gone. Her room’s been gutted.”  
Dean furrowed his brow. “You think it was a straggler from Brent’s group? A survivor?”  
“No.” Sam shook his head. “We didn’t leave any.” Cas winced at Sam’s words, reminding him that they murdered people.  
“Sam’s right.” Cas murmured. “It couldn’t be them. All of her things are gone too. Like she just packed up and left.” He let out a shuttered breath as he stared between the two brothers. He tried to ignore the doors opening behind him, obviously Garth and Chuck rearing their curious heads. “It was me.”  
Dean took a step forward. “What the hell are you talking about? How could it have been you? You’ve been caring for Gabriel—”  
“And that’s just it. I’ve been ignoring her. I’ve been so preoccupied with Gabriel that I haven’t said much to her at all. She’s been so quiet; I thought she was just healing from the trauma. But, that doesn’t mean that she should have to heal alone.” Cas lowered his head in defeat. He was such as ass. He had never asked if you were doing okay, or if you needed him. He had been so focused on being there for Gabriel, that he hadn’t even thought of asking about you.  
And now you were gone.  
“You know, I haven’t said much to her either. So much has happened over the last few days, it’s been like a fog.” Sam agreed.  
“Yeah.” Dean nodded. “Same here. I’ve just been trying to piece everything together and trying to find ways that this kind of shit won’t happen again.” He shifted his weight and folded his arms over his bare chest. “I just didn’t think anything of it.”  
“Yeah? Well, because none of us were thinking, she’s gone. Could be hours away by now. Alone, in the snow.” Cas’ body tensed at the reality. It was true. You were gone without a trace. “We need to find her.”  
“Cas, if she left, it’s because she doesn’t want to be here,” Chuck interjected from behind. Cas didn’t bother to look at him.  
“Yeah, or maybe we pushed her away,” he answered.  
“Maybe she thinks what happened to Gabriel is her fault.” Dean leaned against the doorway, keeping his eyes on Cas. Cas returned his gaze, his body tensing even more at the idea.  
“I have to find her. If none of you want to come with me, then I’ll go out on my own.” Cas’ voice was no more than a growl as he glared up at his leader. “I’m going.”  
“No,” Dean took a step forward, “you aren’t.”  
Cas huffed an emotionless chuckle. “Then stop me.” Cas turned for the stairs, brushing Sam out of the way as he made his way towards the door. Dean slammed his fist on the door, before turning back towards his room.  
“Sam, stop him. He’s not going out there alone.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 16

You closed your eyes as the sound of snarls and growls filled your ears. The horrible noise echoed around the metal walls of the ambulance you had taken shelter in. Of course, you hadn’t realized that the hospital you were going to raid was flooded with them. Or, that the sound of a single gunshot would force them through the front doors and right in your direction.  
For the last five hours, the fuckers had been trying to break into your temporary fortress. A few of them had shattered the front windows. But, lucky for you, this appeared to be a psychiatric ambulance, which meant there was a sturdy set of metal doors between the front seats and the rest of the ambulance.  
You had some amazing luck.  
Gripping the handle of your pistol, you mentally scanned through your options. You could try to fight your way through the horrible monsters that were furiously trying to get to you. Of course, you only had your pistol left, and 5 rounds in the mag. You also had your trusty machete, which would help a little. But, you knew the heard was just too dense. There was no way you were going to get through them on your own.  
Which left you with another option.  
You stared down at the small pistol and let out a deep sigh. No. That’s not how you rolled. You were going to get out of this somehow. The undead assholes had gotten into the front of the ambulance, which meant you couldn’t just drive away. And since you were low on bullets, you were struggling to find another option.  
Bang! Bang!  
The sound of gunfire erupted outside of the ambulance. At least three different guns fired as the groans grew louder, and obviously more irritated. But, who the hell was out there? You crawled to the rear doors and stared out the filthy windows, only to see more zombies turning towards the noise.  
“Y/N!” a familiar voice shouted, making your skin prickle. No, it couldn’t be.  
**  
Cas held on tightly as his gun bucked against him. You had to be in there, he thought. There was no way it wasn’t you. The hospital was only twenty miles from the houses, and you had been gone for quite a while. It just made sense.  
“Y/N!” he cried out again, begging that you would answer him. You had to be out there. He wouldn’t take anything else. “Y/N!” Cas just kept shooting, taking down each monster with ease. There were so many of them.  
“Cas! Get to the rear doors! I’ll cover!” Dean screamed as he blasted his way through the enormous mob. “Go!”  
Cas nodded, and made a break through the group. Sam was on the other side of Dean, and Bobby and Garth stood further back. He dodged his way through snapping jaws, racing to the ambulance. Bullets whizzed through the air, but he knew that each of the men had a good eye, and he wasn’t going to get hit.  
“Y/N!” he screamed as he got close to the doors. He reached out, tugging at the metal latches with both hands. “Y/N, are you in there?”  
“Cas!” He nearly dropped to the floor when he heard your voice. He watched the shadow of your hands slamming on the windows of the rear doors.  
“Y/N, open the doors. We need to go!” Cas turned and slammed his knife into the skull of a zombie, before turning back towards you. With a click, the doors opened, and you scurried out of the damaged vehicle. “C’mon!” he screamed as he grabbed your hand.  
The two of you tore your way through the dwindling crowd. But, there were still too many of them for the six of you to wipe out. You needed to go, right then. So, Cas turned towards the truck.  
“Shit,” Cas growled as he saw the dozens of zombies between the two of you, and the cars. “We can’t take them.”  
You studied the creatures as they scurried around you and Cas. He was right, you were never going to get through them. Not with what little ammo you both had.  
That’s when you had a brilliant idea.  
“The ambulance. We need to go back!” you shouted, and you turned to slam a zombie with your machete.  
“You’re insane!”  
“The others are distracting most of these fuckers. That means the seats must be clear. I think I saw the keys in the ignition. We can drive it out—” You were cut short by five creatures making their way towards you. Shit. “We need to go, now,” you commanded. Then, you turned, and charged back towards the ambulance.  
Zombies snarled and snapped at you, but the two of you successfully dodged them. To your right, you could see Sam and Dean hacking at a large group. You hoped they were just conserving ammo, and not out of bullets. But, you had no way to help them. The sea between you and them was too big, so you kept on track towards the ambulance.  
“I’ll drive!” you shouted as you raced to the driver side of the ambulance. The vehicle was clear, with most of the zombies heading for one of the guys.  
“Shit, there’s a ton of glass.” Cas squirmed his way into the passenger seat, trying his best to avoid the shards of glass covering the seat. You ignored his comment, focusing on starting the engine. You reached down and, with a shaky hand, turned the key. The engine huffed and spat, but refused to turn over.  
“Shit!” you screamed as a group of zombies approached. “Come on, you hunk of shit!” You reached for the key again, praying to whoever was listening that it would start up. “C’mon.” You turned it, and within a second, the engine roared to life.  
“Punch it!” Cas screamed. And that’s exactly what you did. You flipped on the siren, that surprisingly still worked, to signal to the others that it was time to go. Then, you headed for the road, and back towards home.  
Ten minutes into the uncomfortably silent drive, you turned to Cas. He was staring out the window, obviously still in shock about what had happened over the last hour. His face was covered in dirt and his shirt was streaked with… someone’s blood. But, it didn’t matter. Everyone was safe, and you were all heading home.  
Home. The word rang in your head like a church bell. You did consider the compound your home, even though you had only lived there for a very short time. But, there were people who cared about you there, and people you cared about. And that meant something.  
“Why did you leave?” Cas asked bluntly, not looking over at you. Your stomach sank as you thought about your answer.  
“I-I just didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of me. You all barely know me. I’m not worth losing your life over.” Your eyes remained on the road, but you could feel Cas’ gaze snap to you.  
“Of course you are. What happened with Gabriel wasn’t your fault—”  
“He wouldn’t have been out there if it weren’t for me, Cas! Of course it’s my fault.” Your grip on the steering wheel tightened.  
Cas let out a deep sigh. “Brent threatened all of us. He kept my brother hostage for months, and threatened to take everything we have. Even if he hadn’t taken you, we would have ambushed him. He was a threat to everyone. Either way, Gabriel would have made that trek. It just happened the way it happened, and it is what it is.” Cas’ deep blue eyes locked on you. “I’m sorry if you think this was your fault, or that I blame you in any way. But, I don’t.”  
You had no idea what to say. Every breath was the truth, and you knew that. His tone said it all. “I’m sorry,” you muttered, fighting back tears as you began to recognize the road. You were getting close to home.  
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”  
You huffed. “Even for leaving? You guys almost died rescuing me, again.” You let out a sharp breath. “Why did you even come after me?”  
“Because I meant what I said the night I killed Brent. I do love you. I care so much about you. It was my idea to go after you today.” Cas rested his hand on your knee. “And the others offered to go with me. They care about you too, you know. You’re as much a part of the family as everyone else, whether you like it or not.”  
The tears you had been fighting finally broke free. It had been such a long time since someone had cared for you like this. Your heart fluttered at the thought of finding your place in this mess of a world. But, apparently you had, and it was more than you could have wished for. And there was only one thing you needed to say.  
“I love you too, Cas.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 17

Cas entered his room and made his way over to you, glass of water in hand. The moment you had gotten back to the compound, he made sure you showered and ate. He also insisted that you stay in his room that night so he could make sure you slept.  
A part of you wanted to pull away and say that you were okay, but a larger part of you knew that you weren’t. You had spent too long trying to survive this crazy world on your own. And if it weren’t for him coming after you, you would have definitely died in that ambulance. He saved your life because he loved you. And that thought sealed the fact that you belonged there, in that compound, with Cas, and Dean, and Sam, and all of them. They were now your family, however cheesy that sounded.  
“Thanks,” you whispered to Cas as he handed you the glass of water. You took a few large sips, before placing it onto the floor beside the mattress, close to the wall. Cas crawled onto the mattress beside you and wrapped his arm around your shoulders.  
“How are you feeling?” Cas asked gripping your shoulder a little. You smiled and nodded, then turned to him.  
“Tired, sore, stunned. But, I’m alive. God, I was so stupid. I have no fucking idea why I thought running into that ambulance made any fucking sense—”  
“But you are alive. And that’s what matters now.” Cas leaned over and kiss your temple. The warmth of his lips on your skin was comforting, causing you to lean against Cas. “You’re alive,” he whispered again. Those words sent shivers over your skin.  
Without warning, you turned your body towards Cas and practically leapt onto him. You straddled his legs and leaned your face in to his, pressing your lips against him. His arms quickly enveloped you, grasping and pulling you closer to him. Your fingers tangled in his freshly washed hair as you slipped your tongue between his lips. You both needed this, the closeness, to feel each other there.  
Cas’ hands latched onto your hips and pulled you down against him. His half-hard erection pressed against you through his sweatpants. You gasped at the contact. It wasn’t lust fueling you, it wasn’t need or desire. There was something different in the air. You were home.  
Cas’ hands smoothed and tugged their way under your shirt, his nails nipping at your soft skin. He pulled his mouth away from yours and moved it down to your neck. His back rested against the wall behind him, steadying himself as he rolled his hips up against you.  
Within minutes, his nimble fingers had your shirt off, and were toying with the waistband of your sweats. “Off,” he commanded with a tug. You grinned and lifted up for a moment, slipping the rest of your clothing onto the floor.  
“Hey, your turn,” you teased as you stood beside him, hands on your bare hips. He smiled, which made you heart flutter like it never had before, before he quickly shed himself of his shirt and sweats. Then, he reached out his hand, which you eagerly took, and planted you back onto his lap.  
His blue eyes shined right though you as he gazed up at you. One of his hands rested on your hip, while the other dipped between your legs. His middle finger skimmed over your dripping folds, making him smirk.  
“So wet already?” he chuckled into your ear. “Good.” He positioned his now rock-hard cock at your slick entrance. Then, he pulled his head back and gazed up at you as he lowered you onto him. You bit your lip and gripped his shoulders as he slowly stretched you. Then, as he bottomed out, he let out a long breath.  
Desperate for friction, you began to roll your hips. You began to bounce on his lap, keeping your eyes on his as his name escaped you. God he felt amazing. His hands exploring every inch of your skin, his lips lowering to your nipple, taking it into his mouth as he kept his eyes on you. And the way his name sounding rolling off your tongue was perfect.  
“Oh my god, Cas!” you screamed as his hand moved down between your legs, his long finger finding your swollen clit. Heat built up quickly inside you as you rolled your hips into him.  
Cas’ other hand moved to your back, his nails biting into your skin. “I love you, Y/N,” Cas whispered against your chest. He peppered kisses between his words as he continued. “Don’t you ever think you’re a burden.” His breath hitched a little as his thrusts faltered slightly. “You belong here, with me, with us.” His voice was breathy and strangled as he gripped you tighter. “I love you.”  
You leaned your head back, allowing your orgasm to course through you. You leaned your head down, pressing your forehead against the top of his. Cas’ rhythm quickened, signaling that he was getting close. He moved his hands back to your waist and slammed into you a few more times, before finally spilling deep inside you.  
Cas held you against him for a few minutes before allowing you to collapse beside him. His arms remained on your hip, holding you close against him as he kissed his way up and down your shoulders. God, you wished you could lay there forever.  
Knock knock.  
You nearly jumped out of your skin as you leaned upwards, your gaze on the door. Cas leapt to his feet and slipped his boxers on, before heading to see who was there. What the hell did Dean want now?  
Cas opened the door and froze. His shoulders stiffened, but you couldn’t see past him. What the heck had him so spooked? You wrapped yourself in his blanket and slowly made your way to his side. And what you saw was, well, pretty fucking impossible.  
“Gabriel?” you asked, staring Cas’ older brother and you peeked out from behind Cas’ arm. He was smiling back, his face flushed and his eyes bright. He looked healthier than you had ever seen him. It’s like he was never bitten at all.  
“Hey, bro,” Gabe greeted Cas with a smirk. “We’re having a little meeting downstairs. Thought you’d like to join us.” He peered over Cas’ shoulder at you, giving you a chuckle. “You know, when you’re done with playtime.”  
Cas just tilted his head a little, before he spoke. “How the hell are you alive?”  
“Well, ain’t that the million-dollar question?” Gabriel nodded, then turned towards the stairs. “Come downstairs and we’ll all talk.” Then, Gabe made his way down the stairs, leaving both you and Cas completely speechless.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 18

Everyone was gathered in the living room, some sitting on various mismatched chairs, others leaning against the lightly peeling walls. Gabriel had found himself one of the comfy leather chairs, sitting cross-legged as he folded his arms over his chest. Dean stood beside him, leaning against the back of the chair with Sam at his side.  
And all eyes were on Gabriel.  
“So, is the bite still there?” Chuck asked from his seat on the floor. Gabriel rolled his eyes.  
“Yes, it’s still there. I mean, it doesn’t hurt as much, but it’s there.” He peered up at Dean. “I just don’t know how I’m still kickin’.”  
“You must have some sort of resistance to whatever caused it in the first place. But, that doesn’t leave us many answers,” Cas chimed in from beside you. His fingers nervously tapped on the back of the sofa, just behind your head, as he stared at Gabe.  
“Are you sure it was a zombie that bit him?” Garth asked from the corner of the room.  
You nodded. “Yeah. Several people saw it happen—”  
“That doesn’t matter now,” Dean interrupted. “What matters is finding out what this could mean to our future. Can we somehow use that immunity to our advantage?” Dean’s brow furrowed as he thought.  
Sam turned to his brother beside him. “You mean like a vaccine?”  
Dean nodded slowly. “I mean, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But, that hospital that Y/N was parked outside of. There may still be some resources we can use to make something.”  
You scooted forward in your seat, pressing your elbows onto your knees, rubbing your temples. “We don’t even know what it is that kept Gabriel alive, and you’re thinking about injecting it into all of us? Why don’t we give it a little while longer and see what happens.” You peered over at Gabriel. “No offense. But, if something were to happen, we don’t want everyone else infected with some mutated strain of whatever this is.”  
Gabriel smiled and winked over at his brother. “You’ve got a smart one there.” Gabriel turned towards Dean. “She’s right. We don’t know why I’m alive. It could be a blessing, or I would be eating brains tomorrow. So, how about this? We wait another week. And, if I’m still alive, we’ll revisit the whole situation.” Gabe leaned back in his seat.  
Everyone sat in silence for a moment, before Dean finally chimed in. “Then, that’s the plan. One week, and we head for the hospital. How the fuck we’re going to figure it out from there, I don’t know. But, we’ll figure something out.” Dean looked at everyone, who slowly nodded in agreement. You knew that it was a half-assed shot at best, but it was something. Gabe had fucking survived a bite from a zombie. He got sick, but never turned. You had never seen that before. Were there others out there that were immune? Was it in his blood? Did that mean Cas was immune too?  
You closed your eyes as you tried to steady your mind. Your breathing slowed as you drowned out the chatter in the room. Air whooshed by your ears, propelled by the slightly opened window behind you. You listened closer, and that’s when you heard it.  
Mmrrrrr.  
What the hell was that? You listened closer. Mmmrrr. You knew that sound. It was something you hadn’t heard in a long time, something you thought you’d never hear again.  
“Cows,” you muttered into the chatter. Cas snapped towards you, raising an eyebrow.  
“What did you say?” He asked, tilting his head.  
You turned around to face the window and opened it. “Listen,” you whispered, before peering out the window.  
“Dude, I think she’s lost it,” Sam announced. He stared at you along with Cas, just as confused. He had no idea what you were talking about.  
He watched as you squinted out the window for a moment before Cas joined you, while everyone stared at you. You smiled at the figures in the distance. This could be huge. Sure, the whole thing with Gabriel needed to be figured out. But, it would work out somehow. Until then, you still needed to eat—  
“Y/N, those aren’t cows.” Cas gasped, his grip on the back of the couch tightening.  
“What the hell are you talking about?” You asked, trying your best to adjust to the sunlight beamed through the filthy window. You squinted hard, staring into the pasture in the distance, until you finally saw what he was seeing.  
“No, those are zombies,” you corrected. “Oh shit.” You turned to the rest of the crew, whose eyes were fixed on you. Their expressions were a mixture of shock and confusion. Your mind raced as you turned back towards the window. “Dean, Sam, there are—”  
“A shit ton of them,” Cas finished. You just stared out the window at the hoard of zombies shuffling towards your compound. “At least a hundred, probably more.”  
Dean took a step towards the center of the room. “Good to have you back Gabe. But, we need to get out there. All of us.” There was a darkness in Dean’s voice. Almost like… fear. Was the fearless leader actually… scared? You took in a deep breath and steadied yourself.  
“We need to get out there and take down as much as we can. We still have daylight for a long while. It’s an advantage.” You turned at Cas. “We have tons of wood, gasoline and matches. We can create a perimeter and light it.” You were almost shocked by your quick thinking. “Last time I checked, these things weren’t fireproof.”  
“And burn down this place? What help would that be?” Bobby interjected, his arms crossed over his chest.  
“If we don’t take them down somehow, it won’t matter if this place is still standing,” Cas snapped back in your defense. “We can always find more wood and gasoline.”  
Dean nodded at Cas, then turned to the crowd. “Okay, y’all. Grab your weapons and meet at the gate in five.” He peered out the window, his eyes locking at the hoard that stomped through the field just down the hill from your housing development. “We don’t have much longer until they get here.” He gave you an emotionless smile. “Y/N’s plan is the best we’ve got. So, that’s what we’ll do. Gather everything you can that will burn and douse it with gasoline. Then, light it. If you see a zombie, shoot.” Dean let out a sigh. “Go!”


End file.
